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THE WORKS 



OF 



WASHINGTON IRVING 

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NEW EDITION, REVISED. 



VOL. XIV 
CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



NEW-YORK : 
GEORGE P. PUTNAM. 

1850. 



£ f l v ■ 



I 



CHRONICLE 



OF THE 



CONQUEST OF GfiANADA. 



PROM THE MSS. OP 

FRAY ANTONIO AGAPIDA. 



NEW-YORK : 
GEORGE P. PUTNAM, 155 BROADWAY. 

LONDON: JOHN MURRAY. 
1850. 



i i- 3 



AV* 



a. 






Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by 

Washington Irving, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District 
of New- York. 



John F. Trow, 

Printer and Stereotyper, 

49, 51 and 53 Ann-st., N. Y. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Of the Kingdom of Granada, and the tribute which it paid to the Cas- 
tilian crown, . . . . . . . .17 

CHAPTER II. 

Of the Embassy of Don Juan de Vera to demand arrears of tribute 
from the Moorish Monarch, . . . . . .24 

CHAPTER III. 

Domestic feuds in the Alhambra — Rival Sultanas — Predictions con- 
cerning Boabdil, the heir to the throne — How Ferdinand meditates 
war against Granada, and how he is anticipated, . . .29 

CHAPTER IV. 

Expedition of Muley Abul Hassan against the fortress of Zahara, . 33 

CHAPTER V. 
Expedition of the marques of Cadiz against Alhama, . . 38 

CHAPTER VI. 

How the people of Granada were affected, on hearing of the capture 
of Alhama ; and how the Moorish king sallied forth to regain it, 47 

CHAPTER VII. 

How the duke of Medina Sidonia, and the chivalry of Andalusia, 
hastened to the relief of Alhama, . . . . .64 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Sequel of the events at Alhama, . . . . ,59 

CHAPTER IX. 

Events at Granada, and rise of the Moorish king Boabdil el Chico, 64 



vi CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

Royal Expedition against Loxa, . .68 

CHAPTER XL 

How Muley Abul Hassan made a foray into the lands of Medina Si- 
donia, and how he was received, . . . . .77 

CHAPTER XII. 
Foray of Spanish cavaliers among the mountains of Malaga, . 84 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Effects of the disasters among the mountains of Malaga, . 98 

CHAPTER XIV. 
How King Boabdil el Chico marched over the border, . 102 

CHAPTER XV. 

How the Count de Cabra sallied forth from his castle, in quest of 
King Boabdil, . . . . . . .106 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Battle of Lucena, . . . . . . .112 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Lamentations of the Moors for the battle of Lucena, . m . 121 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
How Muley Abul Hassan profited by the misfortunes of his son Boabdil, 126 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Captivity of Boabdil el Chico, ..... 128 

CHAPTER XX. 
Of the treatment of Boabdil by the Castilian Sovereigns, . . 138 

CHAPTER XXL 
Return of Boabdil from captivity, ..... 137 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Foray of the Moorish Alcaydes, and battle of Lopera, . . 148 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Retreat of Hamet el Zegri, Alcayde of Ronda, . „ . 153 



CONTENTS. vii 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



Of the reception at court of the Count de Cabra and the Alcayde de 
los Donceles, ........ 157 

CHAPTER XXV. 

How the marques of Cadiz concerted to surprise Zahara, and the re- 
sult of his enterprise, . . . . , . 162 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Of the fortress of Alhama, and how wisely it was governed by the 
Count de Tendilla, . . . . . .167 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Foray of Christian Knights into the territory of the Moors, . 174 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Attempt of El Zagal to surprise Boabdil in Almeria, . . 180 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

How king Ferdinand commenced another campaign against the Moors, 
and how he laid siege to Coin and Cartama, . . . 184 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Siege of Ronda, ....... 190 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

How the people of Granada invited El Zagal to the throne, and how 
he marched to the capital, ...... 196 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

How the Count de Cabra attempted to capture another King, and 
how he fared in his attempt, ..... 201 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
Expedition against the Castles of Cambil and Albahar, . . 208 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Enterprise of the knights of Calatrava against Zalea, ; . 216 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Death of Muley Abul Hassan, ...... 220 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 
Of the Christian army which assembled at the city of Cordova, . 224 



viii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

How fresh commotions broke out in Granada, and how the people 
undertook to allay them, . . . . . 231 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
How King Ferdinand held a council of war, at the Rock of the Lovers, 235 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

How the Royal Army appeared before the city of Loxa, and how it was 
received ; and of the doughty achievements of the English Earl, 238 

CHAPTER XL. 
Conclusion of the siege of Loxa, ..... 244 

CHAPTER XLI. 
Capture of Illora, ....... 247 

CHAPTER XLII. 

Of the arrival of Queen Isabella at the camp before Moclin ; and of 
the pleasant sayings of the English Earl, .... 250 

CHAPTER XLIII. 
How King Ferdinand attacked Moclin, and of the strange events that 
attended its capture, ...... 255 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

How King Ferdinand foraged the Vega; and of the battle of the 
Bridge of Pinos, and the fate of the two Moorish brothers, . 260 

CHAPTER XLV. 

Attempt of El Zagal upon the life of Boabdil, and how the latter was 
roused to action, ....... 267 

CHAPTER XL VI. 
How Boabdil returned secretly to Granada, and how he .was re- 
ceived.— Second embassy of Don Juan de Vera, and his perils in 
the Alhambra, . . . . # . . 270 

CHAPTER XLVII. 

How King Ferdinand laid siege to Velez Malaga, . . . 277 

CHAPTER XL VIII. 
How King Ferdinand and his army were exposed to imminent peril, 
before Velez Malaga, ...... 286 



CONTENTS. i x 

CHAPTER XLIX. 

Result of the stratagem of El Zagal to surprise King Ferdinand, . 291 

CHAPTER L. 

How the people of Granada rewarded the valor of El Zagal, . . 296 

CHAPTER LI. 
Surrender of Velez Malaga and other places, i 300 

CHAPTER LII. 
Of the city of Malaga, and its inhabitants. — Mission of Hernando del 
Pulgar, ........ 303 

CHAPTER LIII. 

Advance of King Ferdinand against Malaga, . * . 310 

CHAPTER LIV. 
Siege of Malaga, ....... 315 

CHAPTER LV. 
Siege of Malaga continued— obstinacy of Hamet el Zegri. . . 318 

CHAPTER LVI. 
Attack of the marques of Cadiz upon Gibralfaro, . . . 322 

CHAPTER LVII. 

Siege of Malaga continued.— Stratagems of various kinds, . . 325 

CHAPTER LVIII. 
Sufferings of the people of Malaga, . . . . . 330 

CHAPTER LIX. 

How a Moorish santon undertook to deliver the city of Malaga from 
the power of its enemies, ...... 334 

CHAPTER LX. 

How Hamet el Zegri was hardened in his obstinacy, by the arts of a 
Moorish astrologer, ... . . 339 

CHAPTER LXt. 

Siege of Malaga continued. — Destruction of a tower, by Francisco 
Ramirez de Madrid, ...... 343 

CHAPTER LXII. 
How the people of Malaga expostulated with Hamet el Zegri, . 345 

1* 



x CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER LXIII. 

How Hamet el Zegri sallied forth with the sacred banner, to attack 
the Christian camp, ...... 349 

CHAPTER LXIV. 

How the city of Malaga capitulated, . . . . . 354 

CHAPTER LXV. 

Fulfilment of the prophecy of the dervise. — Fate of Hamet el Zegri, 359 

CHAPTER LXVI. 

How the Castilian sovereigns took possession of the city of Malaga, 
and how King Ferdinand signalized himself by his skill in bar- 
gaining with the inhabitants for their ransom, . . . 362 

CHAPTER LXVII. 
How King Ferdinand prepared to carry the war into a different part 
of the territories of the Moors, ..... 369 

CHAPTER LXVIII. 

How King Ferdinand invaded the eastern side of the kingdom of 
Granada, and how he was received by El Zagal, . . . 374 

CHAPTER LXIX. 
How the Moors made various enterprises against the Christians, . 379 

CHAPTER LXX. 

How King Ferdinand prepared to besiege the city of Baza, and how 
the city prepared for defence, ..... 383 

CHAPTER LXXI. 
The battle of the gardens before Baza, .... 389 

CHAPTER LXXII. 

Siege of Baza. — Embarrassments of the army, . . . 394 

CHAPTER LXXIII. 

Siege of Baza continued.— How King Ferdinand completely invested 
the city, ........ 398 

CHAPTER LXXIV. 
Exploit of Hernan Perez del Pulgar and other cavaliers , . . 401 

CHAPTER LXXV. 
Continuation of the siege of Baza, ..... 405 



CONSENTS. xi 

CHAPTER LXXVI. 

How two friars from the Holy Land arrived at the camp, . . 409 

CHAPTER LXXVII. 

How Queen Isabella devised means to supply the army with provisions, 415 

CHAPTER LXXVIII. • 

Of the disasters which befell the camp, .... 419 

CHAPTER LXXIX. 

Encounters between the Christians and Moors, before Baza ; and the 
devotion of the inhabitants to the defence of their city, . . 423 

CHAPTER LXXX. 

How Queen Isabella arrived at the camp, and the consequences 
of her arrival, ....... 427 

CHAPTER LXXXI. 
Surrender of Baza, . . . . . . . 431 

CHAPTER LXXXII. 
Submission of El Zagal to the Castilian Sovereigns, . • . 438 

CHAPTER LXXXIII. 
Events at Granada, subsequent to the submission of El Zagal, . 446 

CHAPTER LXXXIV. 

How King Ferdinand turned his hostilities against the city of Granada, 451 

CHAPTER LXXXV. 
The fate of the castle of Roma, . . . . . 456 

CHAPTER LXXXVI. 

How Boabdil el Chico took the field; and his expedition against 
Alhendin, . . . . . . . .460 

CHAPTER LXXXVIL 

Exploit of the Count de Tendilla, . . . • . 464 

CHAPTER LXXXVJII. 

Expedition of Boabdil el Chico against Salobreiia. — Exploit of 
Hernan Perez del Pulgar, ...;.. 470 

CHAPTER LXXXIX. 
How King Ferdinand treated the people of Guadix — and how El 
Zagal finished his regal career, ..... 476 



xii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XC. 
Preparations of Granada for a desperate defence, • . . 481 

CHAPTER XCI. 
How King Ferdinand conducted the siege cautiously; and how 
Queen Isabella arrived at the camp, . . . . 486 

CHAPTER XCII. 
Of the insolent defiance of Tarfe the Moor, and the daring exploit 
of Hernan Perez del Pulgar, ..... 489 

CHAPTER XCIII. 
How Queen Isabella took a view of the city of Granada — and how her 
curiosity cost the lives of many Christians and Moors, . . 492 

CHAPTER XCIV. 
The last ravage before Granada, . . . . . 600 

CHAPTER XCV. 
Conflagration of the Christian camp. Building of Santa Fe*, . 604 

CHAPTER XCVI. 
Famine and discord in the city, . 609 

CHAPTER XCVII. 
Capitulation of Granada, ...... 612 

CHAPTER XCVIII. 
Commotions in Granada, ...... 616 

CHAPTER XCIX. 
Surrender of Granada, ....... 620 

CHAPTER C. 
How the Castilian sovereigns took possession of Granada, . . 627 

Appendix, ........ 633 



INTRODUCTION. 



Although the following Chronicle bears the name of the venera- 
ble Fray Antonio Agapida, it is rather a superstructure reared 
upon the fragments which remain of his work. It may be asked, 
Who is this same Agapida, who is cited with such deference, yet 
whose name is not to be found in any of the catalogues of Spa- 
nish authors ? The question is hard to answer : he appears to 
have been one of the many indefatigable authors of Spain, who 
have filled the libraries of convents and cathedrals with their 
tomes, without ever dreaming of bringing their labors to the press. 
He evidently was deeply and accurately informed of the particu- 
lars of the wars between his countrymen and the Moors — a tract 
of history but too much overgrown with the weeds of fable. His 
glowing zeal, also, in the cause of the Catholic faith, entitles him 
to be held up as a model of the good old orthodox chroniclers, 
who recorded with such pious exultation the united triumphs of 
the cross and the sword. It is deeply to be regretted, therefore, 
that his manuscripts, deposited in the libraries of various con- 
vents, have been dispersed during the late convulsions in Spain, 
so that nothing is now to be met of them but disjointed frag- 
ments. These, however, are too precious to be suffered to fall 
into oblivion, as they contain many curious facts, not to be found 



xiv INTRODUCTION. 



in any other historian. In the following work, therefore, the 
manuscript of the worthy Fray Antonio will be adopted, wher- 
ever it exists entire ; but will be filled up, extended, illustrated, 
and corroborated, by citations from various authors, both Spanish 
and Arabian, who have treated of the subject. Those who may 
wish to know how far the work is indebted to the chronicle of 
Fray Antonio Agapida, may readily satisfy their curiosity by re- 
ferring to his manuscript fragments, carefully preserved in the 
library of the Escurial. 

Before entering upon the history, it may be as well to notice 
the opinions of certain of the most learned and devout historio- 
graphers of former times, relative to this war. 

Marinus Siculus, historian to Charles V., pronounces it a war 
to avenge ancient injuries received by the Christians from the 
Moors, to recover the kingdom of Granada, and to extend the 
name and honor of the Christian religion, f 

Estevan de Garibay, one of the most distinguished Spanish 
historians, regards the war as a special act of divine clemency 
towards the Moors ; to the end that those barbarians and infidels, 
who had dragged out so many centuries under the diabolical op- 
pression of the absurd sect of Mahomet, should at length be re- 
duced to the Christian faith.* 

Padre Mariana, also, a venerable Jesuit, and the most re- 
nowned historian of Spain, considers the past domination of the 
Moors a scourge inflicted on the Spanish nation for its iniquities ; 
but the conquest of Granada, the reward of Heaven for its great 
act of propitiation in establishing the glorious tribunal of the 
Inquisition ! No sooner (says the worthy father) was this holy 
omce opened in Spain, than there shone forth a resplendent light. 

* Lucio Marino Siculo, Cosas Memorabiles de Espana, lib. 20. 
t Garibay, Compend. Hist. Espana, lib. 18, c. 22. 



INTRODUCTION. ^ 



Then it was, that, through divine favor, the nation increased in 
power, and became competent to overthrow and trample down 
the Moorish domination.* 

Having thus cited high and venerable authority for consider- 
ing this war in the light of one of those pious enterprises de- 
nominated crusades, we trust we have said enough to engage the 
Christian reader to follow us into the field, and stand by us to 
the very issue of the encounter. 



NOTE TO THE REVISED EDITION. 

The foregoing introduction, prefixed to the former editions of this 
work, has been somewhat of a detriment to it. Fray Antonio Agapida 
was found to be an imaginary personage ; and this threw a doubt over 
the credibility of his chronicle ; which was increased by a vein of irony, 
indulged here and there, and by the occasional heightening of some of 
the incidents, and the romantic coloring of some of the scenes. A word 
or two explanatory may therefore be of service.f 

The idea of the work was suggested while I was occupied at Madrid 
in writing the life of Columbus. In searching for traces of his early life, 
I was led among the scenes of the war of Granada ; he having followed 
the Spanish sovereigns in some of their campaigns, and been present at 
the surrender of the Moorish capital. I actually wove some of these 
scenes into the biography ; but found they occupied an undue space, and 
stood out in romantic relief, not in unison with the general course of the 
narrative. My mind, however, had become so excited by the stirring 
events and romantic achievements of this war, that I could not return 



* Mariana, Hist. Espana, lib. 25, c. 1. 

t Many of the observations in this note have already appeared in an explanatory article, 
which, at Mr. Murray's request, the author furnished to the London Quarterly Review. 



xvi INTRODUCTION. 



with composure to the sober biography I had in hand. The idea then 
occurred, as a means of allaying this excitement, to throw off a rough 
draught of the history of this war, to be revised and completed at future 
leisure. It appeared to me that its true course and character had never 
been fully illustrated. The world had received a strangely perverted 
idea of it through Florian's romance of Gonsalvo of Cordova, or through 
the legend, equally fabulous, entitled " The Civil Wars of Granada," by 
Ginez Perez de la Hita ; the pretended work of an Arabian contempo- 
rary, but in reality a Spanish fabrication. It had been woven over with 
love tales and scenes of sentimental gallantry totally opposite to its real 
character ; for it was, in truth, one of the sternest of those iron conflicts, 
sanctified by the title of " Holy Wars." In fact, the genuine nature of 
the war placed it far above the need of any amatory embellishments. 
It possessed sufficient interest in the striking contrast presented by the 
combatants, of Oriental and European creeds, costumes, and manners ; 
and in the hardy and harebrained enterprises, the romantic adventures, 
the picturesque forays through mountain regions ; the daring assaults 
and surprisals of cliff-built castles and cragged fortresses, which suc- 
ceeded each other with a variety and brilliancy beyond the scope of mere 
invention. 

The time of the contest, also, contributed to heighten the interest. 
It was not long after the invention of gunpowder ; when firearms and 
artillery mingled the flash, and smoke, and thunder of modern warfare, 
with the steely splendor of ancient chivalry, and gave an awful magnifi- 
cence and terrible sublimity to battle ; and when the old Moorish towers 
and castles, that for ages had frowned defiance to the battering-rams and 
catapults of classic tactics, were toppled down by the lombards of the 
Spanish engineers. It was one of the cases in which history rises supe- 
rior to fiction. 

The more I thought about the subject the more I was tempted to 
undertake it, and the facilities at hand at length determined me. In the 
libraries of Madrid, and in the private library of the American Consul, 
Mr. Rich, I had access to various chronicles and other works, both 
printed and in manuscript, written at the time by eye-witnesses, and in 



INTRODUCTION. xvii 

some instances by persons who had actually mingled in the scenes re- 
corded, and gave descriptions of them from different points of view, and 
with different details. These works were often diffuse and tedious, and 
occasionally discolored by the bigotry, superstition, and fierce intoler- 
ance of the age ; but their pages were illumined at times with scenes of 
high emprise, of romantic generosity, and heroic valor, which flashed 
upon the reader with additional splendor from the surrounding darkness. 
I collated these various works, some of which have never appeared in 
print, drew from each facts relative to the different enterprises, arranged 
them in as clear and lucid order as I could command, and endeavored to 
give them somewhat of a graphic effect, by connecting them with the 
manners and customs of the age in which they occurred. The rough 
draught being completed, I laid the manuscript aside, and proceeded with 
the Life of Columbus. After this was finished and sent to the press, 
I made a tour in Andalusia, visited the ruins of the Moorish towns, for- 
tresses, and castles, and the wild mountain passes and defiles, which had 
been the scenes of the most remarkable events of the war, and passed 
some time in the ancient palace of the Alhambra, the once favorite abode 
of the Moorish monarchs. Every where I took notes, from the most 
advantageous points of view, of whatever could serve to give local verity 
and graphic effect to the scenes described. Having taken up my abode 
for a time at Seville, I there resumed my manuscript and rewrote it, 
benefited by my travelling notes and the fresh and vivid impressions of 
my recent tour. In constructing my chronicle, I adopted the fiction of 
a Spanish monk as the chronicler. Fray Antonio Agapida was intended 
as a personification of the monkish zealots, who hovered about the 
sovereigns in their campaigns, marring the chivalry of the camp by the 
bigotry of the cloister, and chronicling in rapturous strains every act of 
intolerance towards the Moors. In fact, scarce a sally of the pretended 
friar, when he bursts forth in rapturous eulogy of some great stroke of 
selfish policy on the part of Ferdinand, or exults over some overwhelm- 
ing disaster of the gallant and devoted Moslems, but is taken almost 
word for word from one or other of the orthodox chroniclers of Spain. 
The ironical vein also was provoked by the mixture of kingcraft 



xviii INTRODUCTION. 



and priestcraft, discernible throughout this great enterprise, and the mis- 
taken zeal and self-delusion of many of its most gallant and generous 
champions. The romantic coloring seemed to belong to the nature of 
the subject, and was in harmony with what I had seen in my tour 
. through the poetical and romantic regions in which the events had taken 
place. With all these deductions the work, in all its essential points, 
was faithful to historical fact, and built upon substantial documents. It 
was a great satisfaction to me, therefore, after the doubts that had been 
expressed of the authenticity of my chronicle, to find it repeatedly and 
largely used by Don Miguel Lafuente Alcantara, of Granada, in his 
recent learned and elaborate history of his native city ; he having had 
ample opportunity, in his varied and indefatigable researches, of judging 
how far it accorded with documentary authority. 

I have still more satisfaction in citing the following testimonial of 
Mr. Prescott, whose researches for his admirable history of Ferdinand 
and Isabella took him over the same ground I had trodden. His testi- 
monial is written in the liberal and courteous spirit characteristic of 
him ; but with a degree of eulogium which would make me shrink from 
quoting it, did I not feel the importance of his voucher for the substan- 
tial accuracy of my work. 

" Mr. Irving's late publication, the * Chronicle of the Conquest of 
Granada,' has superseded all further necessity for poetry, and, unfortu- 
nately for me, for history. He has fully availed himself of all the pic- 
turesque and animating movement of this romantic era ; and the reader 
who will take the trouble to compare his chronicle with the present 
more prosaic and literal narrative, will see how little he has been seduced 
from historic accuracy by the poetical aspect of his subject. The ficti- 
tious and romantic dress of his work has enabled him to make it the 
medium of reflecting more vividly the floating opinions and chimerical 
fancies of the age, while he has illuminated the picture with the dra- 
matic brilliancy of coloring denied to sober history."* 

In the present edition I have endeavored to render the work more 
worthy of the generous encomium of Mr. Prescott. Though I still 

* Prescott 's Ferdinand and Isabella, vol. ii., c. 15. 



INTRODUCTION. 



xix 



retain the fiction of the monkish author Agapida, I have brought my 
narrative more strictly within historical bounds, have corrected and en- 
riched it in various parts with facts recently brought to light by the 
researches of Alcantara and others; and have sought to render it a 
faithful and characteristic picture of the romantic portion of history to 
which it relates. 

W. I. 

SUNNYSIDE, 1850. 



A CHRONICLE 



OF THE 



CONaUEST OF GRANADA 



CHAPTER I. 

Of the Kingdom of Granada, and the tribute which it paid to the Castilian 

crown. 

The history of those bloody and disastrous wars, which have 
caused the downfall of mighty empires, (observes Fray Antonio 
Agapida,) has ever been considered a study highly delectable, 
and full of precious edification. What then must be the history 
of a pious crusade, waged by the most Catholic of sovereigns, to 
rescue from the power of the Infidels one of the most beautiful 
but benighted regions of the globe ? Listen then, while, from 
the solitude of my cell, I relate the events of the conquest of 
Granada, where Christian knight and turbaned Infidel disputed, 
inch by inch, the fair land of Andalusia, until the crescent, that 
symbol of heathenish abomination, was cast down, and the blessed 
cross, the tree of our redemption, erected in its stead. 

Nearly eight hundred years were past and gone, since the 
Arabian invaders had sealed the perdition of Spain, by the defeat 



18 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



of Don Roderick, the last of her Gothic kings. Since that dis- 
astrous event, one portion after another of the peninsula had 
been gradually recovered by the Christian princes, until the 
single, but powerful and warlike territory of Granada, alone re- 
mained under the domination of the Moors. 

This renowned kingdom, situated in the southern part of 
Spain, and washed on one side by the Mediterranean sea, was 
traversed in every direction by Sierras or chains of lofty and 
rugged mountains, naked, rocky, and precipitous, rendering it 
almost impregnable, but locking up within their sterile embraces 
deep, rich, and verdant valleys of prodigal fertility. 

In the centre of the kingdom lay its capital, the beautiful 
city of Granada, sheltered, as it were, in the lap of the Sierra 
Nevada, or Snowy Mountains. Its houses, seventy thousand in 
number, covered two lofty hills with their declivities, and a deep 
valley between them, through which flowed the Darro. The 
streets were narrow, as is usual in Moorish and Arab cities, but 
there were occasionally small squares and open places. The 
houses had gardens and interior courts, set out with orange, 
citron, and pomegranate trees, and refreshed by fountains, so that 
as the edifices ranged above each other up the sides of the hills, 
they presented a delightful appearance of mingled grove and city. 
One of the hills was surmounted by the Alcazaba, a strong for- 
tress, commanding all that part of the city ; the other by the 
Alhambra, a royal palace and warrior castle, capable of contain- 
ing within its alcazar and towers a garrison of forty thousand 
men ; but possessing also its harem, the voluptuous abode of the 
Moorish monarchs, laid out with courts and gardens, fountains 
and baths, and stately halls, decorated in the most costly style of 
oriental luxury. According to Moorish tradition, the king wh£* 
built this mighty and magnificent pile, was skilled in the occult 
sciences, and furnished himself with the necessary funds by means 






THE CITY AND THE VEGA. 19 



of alchemy.* Such was its lavish splendor that even at the 
present day, the stranger, wandering through its silent courts 
and deserted halls, gazes with astonishment at gilded ceilings 
and fretted domes, the brilliancy and beauty of which have sur- 
vived the vicissitudes of war and the silent dilapidation of ages. 

The city was surrounded by high walls, three leagues in cir- 
cuit, furnished with twelve gates, and a thousand and thirty 
towers. Its elevation above the sea, and the neighborhood of the 
Sierra Nevada crowned with perpetual snows, tempered the fervid 
rays of summer ; so that, while other cities were panting with 
the sultry and stifling heat of the dogdays, the most salubrious 
breezes played through the marble halls of Granada. 

The glory of the city, however, was its vega or plain, which 
spread out to a circumference of thirty-seven leagues, surrounded 
by lofty mountains, and was proudly compared to the famous 
plain of Damascus. It was a vast garden of delight, refreshed 
by numerous fountains, and by the silver windings of the Xenil. 
The labor and ingenuity of the Moors had diverted the waters of 
this river into thousands of rills and streams, and diffused them 
over the whole surface of the plain. Indeed, they had wrought 
up this happy region to a degree of wonderful prosperity, and 
took a pride in decorating it, as if it had been a favorite mistress. 
The hills were clothed with orchards and vineyards, the valleys 
embroidered with gardens, and the wide plains covered with 
waving grain. Here were seen in profusion the orange, the 
citron, the fig, and pomegranate, with great plantations of mul- 
berry trees, from which was produced the finest silk. The vine 
clambered from tree to tree ; the grapes hung in rich clusters 
about the peasant's cottage, and the groves were rejoiced by the 
perpetual song of the nightingale. In a word, so beautiful was 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 42. 



20 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the earth,- so pure the air, and so serene the sky, of this delicious 
region, that the Moors imagined the paradise of their Prophet to 
be situated in that part of the heaven which overhung the king- 
dom of Granada. 

Within this favored realm, so prodigally endowed and strongly 
fortified by nature, the Moslem wealth, valor, and intelligence, 
which had once shed such a lustre over Spain, had gradually re- 
tired, and here they made their final stand. Granada had risen 
to splendor on the ruin of other Moslem kingdoms ; but in so 
doing had become the sole object of Christian hostility, and had 
to maintain its very existence by the sword. The Moorish capi- 
tal accordingly presented a singular scene of Asiatic luxury and 
refinement, mingled with the glitter and the din of arms. Letters 
were still cultivated, philosophy and poetry had their schools and 
disciples, and the language spoken was said to be the most ele- 
gant Arabic. A passion for dress and ornament pervaded all 
ranks. That of the princesses and ladies of high rank, says Al 
Kattib, one of their own writers, was carried to a height of lux- 
ury and magnificence that bordered on delirium. They wore 
girdles and bracelets and anklets of gold and silver, wrought 
with exquisite art and delicacy, and studded with jacinths, chryso- 
lites, emeralds, and other precious stones. They were fond of 
braiding and decorating their beautiful long tresses, or con- 
fining them in knots sparkling with jewels. They were finely 
formed, excessively fair, graceful in their manners, and fasci- 
nating in their conversation ; when they smiled, says Al Kattib, 
they displayed teeth of dazzling whiteness, and their breath was 
as the perfume of flowers. 

The Moorish cavaliers, when not in armor, delighted in dress- 
ing themselves in Persian style, in garments of wool, of silk, or 
cotton, of the finest texture, beautifully wrought with stripes of 
various colors. In winter they wore, as an outer garment, the 



LUXURY OF THE MOORS. 21 



African cloak or Tunisian albornoz ; but in the heat of summer, 
they arrayed themselves in linen of spotless whiteness. The 
same luxury prevailed in their military equipments. Their ar- 
mor was inlaid and chased with gold and silver. The sheaths of 
their scimetars were richly labored and enamelled, the blades were 
of Damascus bearing texts from the Koran, or martial and amor- 
ous mottoes ; the belts were of golden filagree, studded with gems ; 
their poniards of Fez, were wrought in the arabesque fashion ; 
their lances bore gay bandaroles ; their horses were sumptuously 
caparisoned with housings of green and crimson velvet ; wrought 
with silk and enamelled with gold and silver. All this war- 
like luxury of the youthful chivalry was encouraged by the 
Moorish kings, who ordained that no tax should be imposed on 
the gold and silver employed in these embellishments ; and the 
same exception was extended to the bracelets and other orna- 
ments worn by the fair dames of Granada. 

Of the chivalrous gallantry which prevailed between the sexes 
in this romantic period of Moorish history, we have traces in the 
thousand ballads which have come down to our day, and which 
have given a tone and coloring to Spanish amatory literature, and 
to every thing in Spain connected with the tender passion. 

War was the normal state of Granada, and its inhabitants ; 
the common people were subject at any moment to be summoned 
to the field, and all the upper class was a brilliant chivalry. The 
Christian princes, so successful in regaining the rest of the penin- 
sula, found their triumphs checked at the mountain boundaries of 
this kingdom. Every peak had its atalaya or watchtower, ready 
to make its fire by night or to send up its column of smoke by 
day, a signal of invasion, at which the whole country was on the 
alert. To penetrate the defiles of this perilous country ; to sur- 
prise a frontier fortress ; or to make a foray into the vega and a 
hasty ravage within sight of the very capital, were among the 

2 



22 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



most favorite and daring exploits of the Castilian chivalry. But 
they never pretended to hold the region thus ravaged ; it was 
sack, burn, plunder, and away ! and these desolating inroads were 
retaliated in kind by the Moorish cavaliers, whose greatest de- 
light was a tala, or predatory incursion into the Christian terri- 
tories beyond the mountains. 

A partisan warfare of this kind had long existed between 
Granada and its most formidable antagonists, the kingdoms of 
Castile and Leon. It was one which called out the keen yet 
generous rivalry of Christian and Moslem cavaliers, and gave 
rise to individual acts of chivalrous gallantry and daring prowess ; 
but it was one which was gradually exhausting the resources and 
sapping the strength of Granada. One of the latest of its kings, 
therefore, Aben Ismael by name, disheartened by a foray which 
had laid waste the vega, and conscious that the balance of war- 
fare was against his kingdom, made a truce in 1457 with Henry 
IV., King of Castile and Leon, stipulating to pay him an annual ' 
tribute of twelve thousand doblas or pistoles of gold, and to libe- 
rate annually six hundred Christian captives, or in default of 
captives, to give an equal number of Moors as hostages ; all to 
be delivered at the city of Cordova.* 

The truce, however, was of a partial nature, with singular re- 
servations. It did not include the Moorish frontier towards 
Jaen, which was to remain open for the warlike enterprises of 
either nation ; neither did it prohibit sudden attacks upon towns 
and castles, provided they were mere forays, conducted furtively, 
without sound of trumpet or display of banners ; or pitching of 
camps, or regular investment, and that they did not last above 
three days.f 

* Garibay, Compend. L. 17, c. 3. 

t Zurita Anales de Aragon, L. 20, c. 42. Mariana Hist, de Espana, 
L. 25, c. 1. Bleda Coron de los Moros, L. 5, c. 3. 



REPUDIATION OF TRIBUTE. 23 



Aben Ismael was faithful in observing the conditions of the 
truce, but they were regarded with impatience by his eldest son, 
Muley Abul Hassan, a prince of a fiery and belligerent spirit, 
and fond of casing himself in armor and mounting his war horse. 
He had been present at Cordova at one of the payments of 
tribute, and had witnessed the scoffs and taunts of the Christians, 
and his blood boiled whenever he recalled the humiliating scene. 
When he came to the throne in 1465, on the death of his father, 
he ceased the payment of the tribute altogether, and it was suffi- 
cient to put him into a tempest of rage only to mention it. 

" He was a fierce and warlike infidel," says the pious Fray 
Antonio Agapida ; " his bitterness against the holy Christian 
faith had been signalized in battle during the lifetime of his 
father, and the same diabolical spirit of hostility was apparent in 
his ceasing to pay this most righteous tribute." 



24 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER II. 

Of the Embassy of Don Juan de Vera to demand arrears of tribute from 
the Moorish Monarch. 

The flagrant want of faith of Muley Abul Hassan in fulfilling 
treaty stipulations, passed unresented during the residue of the 
reign of Henry the Impotent, and the truce was tacitly continued 
without the enforcement of tribute, during the first three years 
of the reign of his successors, Ferdinand and Isabella, of glorious 
and happy memory, who were too much engrossed by civil commo- 
tions in their own dominions, and by a war of succession waged 
with them by the king of Portugal, to risk an additional conflict 
with the Moorish sovereign. When, however, at the expiration 
of the term of truce, Muley Abul Hassan sought a renewal of it, 
the pride and piety of the Castilian sovereigns were awakened to 
the flagrant defalcation of the Infidel king, and they felt them- 
selves called upon, by their dignity as monarchs, and their reli- 
gious obligations as champions of the faith, to make a formal de- 
mand for the payment of arrearages. 

In the year of grace 1478, therefore, Don Juan de Vera, a 
zealous and devout knight, full of ardor for the faith and loyalty 
to the crown, was sent as ambassador for the purpose. He was 
armed at all points, gallantly mounted, and followed by a mode- 
rate but well-appointed retinue; in this way he crossed the 



EMBASSY OF DON JUAN DE VERA. 25 



Moorish frontier, and passed slowly through the country, looking 
round him with the eyes of a practised warrior, and carefully 
noting its military points and capabilities. He saw that the 
Moor was well prepared for possible hostilities. Every town was 
strongly fortified. The vega was studded with towers of refuge 
for the peasantry : every pass of the mountain had its castle of de- 
fence, every lofty height its watchtower. As the Christian cavaliers 
passed under the walls of the fortresses, lances and scimetars 
flashed from their battlements, and the Moorish sentinels darted 
from their dark eyes glances of hatred and defiance. It was evi- 
dent that a war with this kingdom must be a war of posts, full 
of doughty peril and valiant enterprise ; where every step 
must be gained by toil and bloodshed, and maintained with the 
utmost difficulty. The warrior spirit of the cavaliers kindled at 
the thoughts, and they were impatient for hostilities ; " not," 
says Antonia Agapida, " from any thirst for rapine and revenge, 
but from that pure and holy indignation which every Spanish 
knight entertained at beholding this beautiful dominion of his 
ancestors defiled by the footsteps of Infidel usurpers. It was im- 
possible," he adds, " to contemplate this delicious country, and 
not long to see it restored to the dominion of the true faith, and 
the sway of the Christian monarchs." 

Arrived at the gates of Granada, Don Juan de Yera and his 
companions saw the same vigilant preparations on the part of the 
Moorish king. His walls and towers were of vast strength, in 
complete repair, and mounted with lombards and other heavy ord- 
nance. His magazines were well stored with the munitions of 
war : he had a mighty host of foot-soldiers^ together with squad- 
rons of cavalry, ready to scour the country and carry on either 
defensive or predatory warfare. The Christian warriors noted 
these things without dismay; their hearts rather glowed with 
emulation, at the thoughts of encountering so worthy a foe. As 
2 



26 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



they slowly pranced through the streets of Granada, they looked 
round with eagerness on its stately palaces, and sumptuous 
mosques ; on its alcayceria or bazar, crowded with silks and cloth 
of silver and gold, with jewels and precious stones, and other rich 
merchandise, the luxuries of every clime ; and they longed for 
the time when all this wealth should be the spoil of the soldiers 
of the faith, and when each tramp of their steeds might be fetlock 
deep in the blood and carnage of the Infidels. 

The Moorish inhabitants looked jealously at this small but 
proud array of Spanish chivalry, as it paraded, with that stateli- 
ness possessed only by Spanish cavaliers, through the renowned 
gate of Elvira. They were struck with the stern and lofty de- 
meanor of Don Juan de Vera, and his sinewy frame, which show- 
ed him formed for hardy deeds of arms ; and they supposed he had 
come in search of distinction, by defying the Moorish knights in 
open tourney, or in the famous tilt with reeds, for which they 
were so renowned : for it was still the custom of the knights of 
either nation to mingle in these courteous and chivalrous con- 
tests, during the intervals of war. When they learnt, however, 
that he was come to demand the tribute so abhorrent to the ears 
of the fiery monarch, they observed that it well required a warrior 
of his apparent nerve, to execute such an embassy. 

Muley Abul Hassan received the cavalier in state, seated on 
a magnificent divan, and surrounded by the officers of his court, 
in the hall of ambassadors, one of the most sumptuous apartments 
of the Alhambra. When De Vera had delivered his message, a 
haughty and bitter smile curled the lip of the fierce monarch. 
" Tell your sovereigns," said he, " that the kings of Granada, who 
used to pay tribute in money to the Castilian crown, are dead. 
Our mint at present coins nothing but blades of scimetars and 
heads of lances."* 

* Garabay, L. 40, c. 29. Conde, Hist. Arab. p. 4, c. 34. 



EMBASSY OF DON JUAN DE VERA. 27 



The defiance couched in this proud reply was heard with 
secret satisfaction by Don Juan de Vera, for he was a bold sol- 
dier and a devout hater of the Infidels ; and he saw iron war in 
the words of the Moorish monarch. Being master, however, of 
all points of etiquette, he retained an inflexible demeanor, and 
retired from the apartment with stately and ceremonious gravity. 
His treatment was suited to his rank and dignity ; a magnificent 
apartment in the Alhambra was assigned to him ; and before his 
departure, a scimetar was sent to him by the king ; the blade of 
the finest Damascus steel, the hilt of agate enriched with precious 
stones, and the guard of gold. De Vera drew it, and smiled 
grimly as he noticed the admirable temper of the blade. " His 
majesty has given me a trenchant weapon," said he : "I trust a 
time will come when I may show him that I know how to use his 
royal present." The reply was considered a compliment, of 
course ; the bystanders little knew the bitter hostility that lay 
couched beneath. 

On his return to Cordova, Don Juan de Vera delivered the 
reply of the Moor, but at the same time reported the state of his 
territories. These had been strengthened and augmented during 
the weak reign of Henry IV., and the recent troubles of Castile. 
Many cities and strong places contiguous to Granada, but hereto- 
fore conquered by the Christians, had renewed their allegiance to 
Muley Abul Hassan, so that his kingdom now contained fourteen 
cities, ninety-seven fortified places, besides numerous unwalled 
towns and villages defended by formidable castles, while Granada 
towered in the centre as the citadel. 

The wary Ferdinand, as he listened to, the military report of 
Don Juan de Vera, saw that the present was no time for hostili- 
ties with a warrior kingdom, so bristled over with means of de- 
fence. The internal discords of Castile still continued, as did 
the war with Portugal ; under these circumstances he forbore to 



28 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



insist upon the payment of tribute, and tacitly permitted the 
truce to continue ; but the defiance contained in the reply of Mu- 
ley Abul Hassan remained rankling in his bosom as a future 
ground of war ; and De Vera's description of Granada as the 
centre of a system of strongholds and rock-built castles, suggested 
to him his plan of conquest ; by taking town after town, and fortress 
after fortress, and gradually plucking away all the supports before 
he attempted the capital. He expressed his resolution in a mem- 
orable pun, or play upon the name of Granada, which signifies a 
pomegranate. " I will pick out the seeds of this pomegranate one 
by one," said the cool and crafty Ferdinand. 

Note. — In the first edition of this work the author recounted a charac- 
teristic adventure of the stout Juan de Vera, as happening on the 
occasion of this embassy ; a further consultation of historical authorities 
has induced him to transfer it to a second embassy of De Yera's ; which 
the reader will find related in a subsequent chapter. 



DOMESTIC FEUDS. 29 



CHAPTER III. 

Domestic feuds in the Alhambra — Rival Sultanas — Predictions concerning 
Boabdil the heir to the throne — How Ferdinand meditates war against 
Granada, and how he is anticipated. 

Though Muley Abul Hassan was at peace in his external rela- 
tions, a civil war raged in his harem, which it is proper to notice, 
as it had a fatal effect upon the fortunes of the kingdom. Though 
cruel by nature, he was uxorious, and somewhat prone to be 
managed by his wives. Early in life he had married his kinswo- 
man, Ayxa, (or Ayesha,) daughter of his great uncle, the Sultan 
Mohammed VII., surnamed El Hayzari, or the left-handed. 
She was a woman of almost masculine spirit and energy, and of 
such immaculate and inaccessible virtue, that she was generally 
called La Horra, or, The Chaste. By her he had a son, Abu 
Abdallah ; or, as he is commonly named by historians, Boabdil. 
The court astrologers, according to custom, cast the horoscope of 
the infant, but were seized with fear and trembling as they re- 
garded it. " Allah Achbar ! God is great !" exclaimed they, 
" He alone controls the fate of empires. It is written in the book 
of fate that this child will one day sit upon the throne, but that 
the downfall of the kingdom will be accomplished during his 
reign." From that time the prince had been regarded with aver- 
sion by his father ; and the prediction which hung over him, and 



30 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the persecutions to which he became subjected, procured him the 
surname of El Zogoybi, or, The Unfortunate. He grew up, how- 
ever, under the protection of his valiant-hearted mother, who, by 
the energy of her character, long maintained an undisputed sway 
in the harem, until, as her youth passed away and her beauty de- 
clined, a formidable rival arose. 

In one of the forays of the Moorish chivalry into the Chris- 
tian territories, they had surprised a frontier fortress, commanded 
by Sancho Ximenes de Solis, a noble and valiant cavalier, who 
fell in bravely defending it. Among the captives was his daugh- 
ter Isabella, then almost in her infancy ; who was brought to 
Granada ; delicately raised, and educated in the Moslem faith.* 
Her Moorish captors gave her the name of Fatima, but as she 
grew up her surpassing beauty gained her the surname of Zoraya, 
or, the Morning Star, by which she has become known in history. 
Her charms at length attracted the notice of Muley Abul Has- 
san, and she soon became a member of his harem. Some have 
spoken of her as a Christian slave, whom he had made his concu- 
bine ; but others, with more truth, represent her as one of his 
wives, and ultimately his favorite Sultana ; and indeed it was 
often the case that female captives of rank and beauty, when con- 
verted to the faith of Islam, became united to the proudest and 
loftiest of their captors. 

Zoraya soon acquired complete ascendency over the mind of 
Muley Abul Hassan. She was as ambitious as she was beautiful, 
and, having become the mother of two sons, looked forward to the 
possibility of one of them sitting on the throne of Granada. 
These ambitious views were encouraged, if not suggested, by a 
faction which gathered round her, inspired by kindred sympathies. 
The king's vizier, Abul Cacem Vanegas, who had great influence 

* Cronica del Gran. Cardinal, cap. 71. 



FEUDS IN THE ALHAMBRA. 31 



over him, was, like Zoraya, of Christian descent, being of the 
noble house of Luque. His father, one of the Yanegas of Cor- 
dova, had been captured in infancy and brought up as a Moslem.* 
From him sprang the vizier, Abul Cacem Vanegas, and his brother 
Reduan Yanegas, likewise high in rank in the court of Muley 
Abul Hassan ; and they had about them numerous and powerful 
connections, all basking in court favor. Though Moslems in 
faith, they were all drawn to Zoraya by the tie of foreign and 
Christian descent, and sought to elevate her and her children to 
the disparagement of Ayxa la Horra and her son Boabdil. The 
latter, on the other hand, were supported by the noble and once 
potent family of the Abencerrages, and by Aben Comixer, alcayde 
of the Alhambra; and between these two factions, headed by 
rival sultanas, the harem of Muley Abul Hassan became the 
scene of inveterate jealousies and intrigues, which in time, as will 
be shown, led to popular commotions and civil wars.f 

While these female feuds were threatening Muley Abul Has- 
san with trouble and disaster at home, his evil genius prompted 
him to an enterprise which involved him in tenfold danger from 
abroad. The reader has already been apprised of a singular 
clause in the truce existing between the Christians and the Moors, 
permitting hasty dashes into each others' territories, and assaults 
of towns and fortresses, provided they were carried on as mere 
forays, and without the parade of regular warfare. A long time 
had elapsed, however, without any incursion of the kind on the 
part of the Moors, and the Christian towns on the frontiers had, 
in consequence, fallen into a state of the most negligent security. 

* Cura de los Palacios, Hist, de los Reyes Catol, cap. 56. 

t It is to be noted that several historians have erroneously represented 
Zoraya as the mother of Boabdil, instead of Ayxa la Horra; and the Aben- 
cerrages as the opponents of Boabdil, instead of his strenuous adherents. 
The statement in the text is according to the most reliable authorities. 



32 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



In an unlucky moment, Muley Abul Hassan was tempted to one 
of these forays by learning that the fortress of Zahara, on the 
frontier between Ronda and Medina Sidonia, was but feebly gar- 
risoned and scantily supplied, and that its alcayde was careless of 
his charge. This important post was built on the crest of a rocky 
mountain, with a strong castle perched above it, upon a cliff, so 
high that it was said to be above the flight of birds or drift of 
clouds. The streets and many of the houses were mere excava- 
tions, wrought out of the living rock. The town had but one 
gate, opening to the west, and defended by towers and bulwarks. 
The only ascent to this cragged fortress was by roads cut in the 
rock, so rugged in many places as to resemble broken stairs. In 
a word, the impregnable security of Zahara had become so prover- 
bial throughout Spain, that a woman of forbidding and inaccessi- 
ble virtue was called a Zaharena. But the strongest fortress and 
sternest virtue have weak points, and require unremitting vigi- 
lance to guard them : let warrior and dame take warning from 
the fate of Zahara. 



SURPRISE OF ZAHARA. 33 



CHAPTER IV. 

Expedition of Muley Abul Hassan against the fortress of Zahara. 

In the year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and eighty- 
one, and but a night or two after the festival of the most blessed 
Nativity, the inhabitants of Zahara were sunk in profound sleep ; 
the very sentinel had deserted his post, and sought shelter from a 
tempest which had raged for three nights in succession ; for it 
appeared but little probable that an enemy would be abroad dur- 
ing such an uproar of the elements. But evil spirits work best 
during a storm. In the midst of the night, an uproar rose 
within the walls of Zahara, more awful than the raging of the 
storm. A fearful alarm cry — " The Moor ! the Moor !" resound- 
ed through the streets, mingled with the clash of arms, the shriek 
of anguish, and the shout of victory. Muley Abul Hassan, at 
the head of a powerful force, had hurried from Granada, and 
passed unobserved through the mountains in the obscurity of the 
tempest. While the storm pelted the sentinel from his post, and 
howled round tower and battlement, the Moors had planted their 
scaling-ladders, and mounted securely into both town and castle. 
The garrison was unsuspicious of danger, until battle and mas- 
sacre burst forth within its very walls. It seemed to the affright- 
ed inhabitants, as if the fiends of the air had come upon the 
wings of the wind, and possessed themselves of tower and turret. 
The war-cry resounded on every side, shout answering shout, 
2* 



34 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



above, below, on the battlements of the castle, in the streets of 
the town — the foe was in all parts, wrapped in obscurity, but act- 
ing in concert by the aid of preconcerted signals. Starting from 
sleep, the soldiers were intercepted and cut down as they rushed 
from their quarters ; or if they escaped, they knew not where to 
assemble, or where to strike. Wherever lights appeared, the 
flashing scimetar was at its deadly work, and all who attempted 
resistance fell beneath its edge. 

In a little while the struggle was at an end. Those who were 
not slain took refuge in the secret places of their houses, or gave 
themselves up as captives. The clash of arms ceased ; and the 
storm continued its howling, mingled with the occasional shout 
of the Moorish soldiery, roaming in search of plunder. While 
the inhabitants were trembling for their fate, a trumpet resounded 
through the streets summoning them all to assemble, unarmed, in 
the public square. Here they were surrounded by soldiery, and 
strictly guarded, until daybreak. When the day dawned, it was 
piteous to behold this once prosperous community, who had laid 
down to rest in peaceful security, now crowded together without 
distinction of age, or rank, or sex, and almost without raiment, 
during the severity of a wintry storm. The fierce Muley Abul 
Hassan turned a deaf ear to all their prayers and remonstrances, 
and ordered them to be conducted captives to Granada. Leaving 
a strong garrison in both town and castle, with orders to put them 
in a complete state of defence, he returned, flushed with victory, to 
his capital, entering it at the head of his troops, laden with spoil, 
and bearing in triumph the banners and pennons taken at Zahara. 

While preparations were making for jousts and other festivi- 
ties, in honor of this victory over the Christians, the captives of 
Zahara arrived — a wretched train of men, women, and children, 
worn out with fatigue and haggard with despair, and driven like 
cattle into the city gates, by a detachment of Moorish soldiery. 



PREDICTION OF A SANTON. 35 



Deep was the grief and indignation of the people of Granada, 
at this cruel scene. Old men, who had experienced the calami- 
ties of warfare, anticipated coming troubles. Mothers clasped 
their infants to their breasts, as they beheld the hapless females 
of Zahara, with their children expiring in their arms. On every 
side, the accents of pity for the sufferers were mingled with exe- 
crations of the barbarity of the king. The preparations for fes- 
tivity were neglected ; and the viands, which were to have feasted 
the conquerors, were distributed among the captives. 

The nobles and alfaquis, however, repaired to the Alhambra, 
to congratulate the king ; for, whatever storms may rage in the 
lower regions of society, rarely do any clouds, but clouds of in- 
cense, rise to the awful eminence of the throne. In this instance, 
however, a voice rose from the midst of the obsequious crowd, and 
burst like thunder upon the ears of Abul Hassan. " Woe ! woe ! 
woe ! to Granada !" exclaimed the voice ; " its hour of desolation 
approaches. The ruins of Zahara will fall upon our heads ; my 
spirit tells me that the end of our empire is at hand !" All 
shrank back aghast, and left the denouncer of woe standing alone 
in the centre of the hall. He was an ancient and hoary man, in 
the rude attire of a dervise. Age had withered his form without 
quenching the fire of his spirit, which glared in baleful lustre 
from his eyes. He was (say the Arabian historians) one of 
those holy men termed santons, who pass their lives in hermitages, 
in fasting, meditation, and prayer, until they attain to the purity 
of saints and the foresight of prophets. " He was," says the in- 
dignant Fray Antonio Agapida, " a son of Belial, one of those 
fanatic infidels possessed by the devil, who, are sometimes permit- 
ted to predict the truth to their followers ; but with the proviso, 
that their predictions shall be of no avail." 

The voice of the santon resounded through the lofty hall of 
the Alhambra, and struck silence and awe into the crowd of 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



courtly sycophants. Muley Abul Hassan alone was unmoved ; 
he eyed the hoary anchorite with scorn as he stood dauntless be- 
fore him, and treated his predictions as the ravings of a maniac. 
The santon rushed from the royal presence, and, descending into 
the city, hurried through its streets and squares with frantic ges- 
ticulations. His voice was heard, in every part, in awful denun- 
ciation. " The peace is broken ! exterminating war is commenced. 
Woe ! woe ! woe to Granada ! its fall is at hand ! desolation will 
dwell in its palaces ; its strong men will fall beneath the sword, 
its children and maidens be led into captivity. Zahara is but a 
type of Granada !" 

Terror seized upon the populace, for they considered these 
ravings as the inspirations of prophecy. Some hid themselves in 
their dwellings, as in a time of general morning ; while some 
gathered together in knots in the streets and squares, alarming 
each other with dismal forebodings, and cursing the rashness and 
cruelty of the king. 

The Moorish monarch heeded not their murmurs. Knowing 
that his exploit must draw upon him the vengeance of the Chris- 
tians, he now threw off all reserve, and made attempts to surprise 
Castellan and Elvira, though without success. He sent alfaquis, 
also, to the Barbary powers, informing them that the sword was 
drawn, and inviting the African princes to aid him with men and 
supplies in maintaining the kingdom of Granada, and the religion 
of Mahomet, against the violence of unbelievers. 

While discontent exhaled itself in murmurs among the com- 
mon people, however, it fomented in dangerous conspiracies among 
the nobles, and Muley Abul Hassan was startled by information 
of a design to depose him and place his son Boabdil upon the 
throne. His first measure was to confine the prince and his 
mother in the tower of Comares ; then, calling to mind the pre- 
diction of the astrologers, that the youth would one day set on 



ESCAPE OF BOABDIL. 37 



the throne of Granada, he impiously set the stars at defiance. 
u The sword of the executioner," said he, " shall prove the fal- 
lacy of those lying horoscopes, and shall silence the ambition of 
Boabdil." 

The Sultana Ayxa, apprised of the imminent danger of her 
son, concerted a plan for his escape. At the dead of the night she 
gained access to his prison, and tying together the shawls and 
scarfs of herself and her female attendants, lowered him down 
from a balcony of the Alhambra, to the steep rocky hill-side which 
sweeps down to the Darro. Here some of her devoted adherents 
were waiting to receive him, who, mounting him on a swift horse, 
spirited him away to the city of Guadix, in the Alpuxaras. 



38 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER V. 

Expedition of the marques of Cadiz against Alhama. 

Great was the indignation of king Ferdinand when he heard of 
the storming of Zahara ; though the outrage of the Moor happen- 
ed most opportunely. The war between Castile and Portugal had 
come to a close ; the factions of the Spanish nobles were for the 
most part quelled. The Castilian monarchs had now, therefore, 
turned their thoughts to the cherished object of their ambition, 
the conquest of Granada. The pious heart of Isabella yearned to 
behold the entire peninsula redeemed from the domination of the 
Infidel; while Ferdinand, in whom religious zeal was mingled 
with temporal policy, looked with a craving eye to the rich terri- 
tory of the Moor, studded with wealthy towns and cities. Muley 
Abul Hassan had rashly or unwarily thrown the brand that was 
to produce the wide conflagration. Ferdinand was not the one 
to quench the flames. He immediately issued orders to all the 
adelantados and alcaydes of the frontiers, to maintain the utmost 
vigilance at their several posts, and to prepare to carry fire and 
sword into the territories of the Moors. 

Among the many valiant cavaliers who rallied round the 
throne of Ferdinand and Isabella, one of the most eminent in 
rank and renowned in arms was Don Roderigo Ponce de Leon, 
marques of Cadiz. As he was the distinguished champion of 



THE MARQUES OF CADIZ. 39 



this holy war, and commanded in most of its enterprises and bat- 
tles, it is meet that some particular account should be given of 
him. He was born in 1443, of the valiant lineage of the Ponces, 
and from his earliest youth had rendered himself illustrious in 
the field. He was of the middle stature, with a muscular and 
powerful frame, capable of great exertion and fatigue. His hair 
and beard were red and curled, his countenance was open and 
magnanimous, of a ruddy complexion, and slightly marked with 
the small-pox. He was temperate, chaste, valiant, vigilant ; a 
just and generous master to his vassals ; frank and noble in his 
deportment towards his equals ; loving and faithful to his friends ; 
fierce and terrible, yet magnanimous, to his enemies. He was 
considered the mirror of chivalry of his times, and compared by 
contemporary historians to the immortal Cid. 

The marques of Cadiz had vast possessions in the most fertile 
parts of Andalusia, including many towns and castles, and could 
lead forth an army into the field from his own vassals and de- 
pendents. On receiving the orders of the king, he burned to sig- 
nalize himself by some sudden incursion into the kingdom of 
Granada, that should give a brilliant commencement to the war, 
and should console the sovereigns for the insult they had received 
in the capture of Zahara. As his estates lay near to the Moorish 
frontiers, and were subject to sudden inroads, he had always in 
his pay numbers of adalides, or scouts and guides, many of them 
converted Moors. These he sent out in all directions, to watch 
the movements of the enemy, and to procure all kinds of informa- 
tion important to the security of the frontier. One of these spies 
came to him one day in his town of Marchena, and informed him 
that the Moorish town of Alhama was slightly garrisoned and 
negligently guarded, and might be taken by surprise. This was 
a large, wealthy, and populous place, within a few leagues of 
Granada. It was situated on a rocky height, nearly surrounded 



40 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



by a river, and defended by a fortress to which there was no ac- 
cess but by a steep and cragged ascent. The strength of its sit- 
uation, and its being embosomed in the centre of the kingdom, 
had produced the careless security which now invited attack. 

To ascertain fully the state of the fortress, the marques dis- 
patched secretly a veteran soldier, who was highly in his confi- 
dence. His name was Ortega de Prado, a man of great activity, 
shrewdness, and valor, and captain of escaladors (soldiers em- 
ployed to scale the walls of fortresses in time of attack). Ortega 
approached Alhama one moonless night, and paced along its walls 
with noiseless step, laying his ear occasionally to the ground or 
to the wall. Every time, he distinguished the measured tread of 
a sentinel, and now and then the challenge of the night-watch 
going its rounds. Finding the town thus guarded, he clambered 
to the castle : — there all was silent. As he ranged its lofty bat- 
tlements, between him and the sky he saw no sentinel on duty. 
He noticed certain places where the wall might be ascended by 
scaling-ladders ; and, having marked the hour of relieving guard, 
and made all necessary observations, he retired without being 
discovered. 

Ortega returned to Marchena, and assured the marques of 
Cadiz of the practicability of scaling the castle of Alhama, and 
taking it by surprise. The marques had a secret conference with 
Don Pedro Enriquez, Adelantado of Andalusia ; Don Diego de 
Merlo, commander of Seville ; Sancho de Avila, alcayde of 
Carmona, and others, who all agreed to aid him with their forces. 
On an appointed day, the several commanders assembled at Mar- 
chena with their troops and retainers. None but the leaders 
knew the object or destination of the enterprise ; but it was 
enough to rouse the Andalusian spirit, to know that a foray 
was intended into the country of their old enemies, the Moors. 
Secrecy and celerity were necessary for success. They set out 



A NIGHT ATTACK. 41 



promptly, with three thousand genetes, or light cavalry, and four 
thousand infantry. They chose a route but little travelled, by 
the way of Antiquera, passing with great labor through rugged 
and solitary defiles of the Sierra or chain of mountains of Arre- 
cife, and left all their baggage on the banks of the river Yeguas, 
to be brought after them. This march was principally in the 
night ; all day they remained quiet ; no noise was suffered in 
their camp, and no fires were made, lest the smoke should betray 
them. On the third day they resumed their march as the eve- 
ning darkened, and forcing themselves forward at as quick a pace 
as the rugged and dangerous mountain roads would permit, they 
descended towards midnight into a small deep valley, only half a 
league from Alhama. Here they made a halt, fatigued by this 
forced march, during a long dark evening towards the end of 
February. 

The marques of Cadiz now explained to the troops the object 
of the expedition. He told them it was for the glory of the 
most holy faith, and to avenge the wrongs of their countrymen at 
Zahara ; and that the town of Alhama, full of wealthy spoil, was 
the place to be attacked. The troops were roused to new ardor 
by these words, and desired to be led forthwith to the assault. 
They arrived close to Alhama about two hours before daybreak. 
Here the army remained in ambush, while three hundred men 
were dispatched to scale the walls and get possession of the castle. 
They were picked men, many of them alcaydes and officers, men 
who preferred death to dishonor. This gallant band was guided 
by the escalador Ortega de Prado, at the head of thirty men with 
scaling-ladders. They clambered the ascent to the castle in 
silence, and arrived under the dark shadow of its towers without 
being discovered. Not a light was to be seen, not a sound to be 
heard ; the whole place was wrapped in profound repose. 

Fixing their ladders, they ascended cautiously and with noise- 



42 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



less steps. Ortega was the first that mounted upon the battle- 
ments, followed by one Martin Galindo, a youthful esquire, full 
of spirit and eager for distinction. Moving stealthily along the 
parapet to the portal of the citadel, they came upon the sentinel 
by surprise. Ortega seized him by the throat, brandished a 
dagger before his eyes, and ordered him to point the way to the 
guard-room. The infidel obeyed, and was instantly dispatched, to 
prevent his giving an alarm. The guard-room was a scene rather 
of massacre than combat. Some of the soldiery were killed while 
sleeping, others were cut down almost without resistance, bewil- 
dered by so unexpected an assault : all were dispatched, for the 
scaling party was too small to make prisoners or to spare. The 
alarm spread throughout the castle, but by this time the three 
hundred picked men had mounted the battlements. The garrison, 
startled from sleep, found the enemy already masters of the 
towers. Some of the Moors were cut down at once, others fought 
desperately from room to room, and the whole castle resounded 
with the clash of arms, the cries of the combatants, and the 
groans of the wounded. The army in ambush, finding by the 
uproar that the castle was suprised, now rushed from their con- 
cealment, and approached the walls with loud shouts, and sound 
of kettle-drums and trumpets, to increase the confusion and dis- 
may of the garrison. A violent conflict took place in the court 
of the castle, where several of the scaling party sought to throw 
open the gates to admit their countrymen. Here fell two valiant 
alcaydes, Nicholas de Roja and Sancho de Avila ; but they fell 
honorably, upon a heap of slain. At length Ortega de Prado 
succeeded in throwing open a postern, through which the marques 
of Cadiz, the adelantado of Andalusia, and Don Diego de Merlo, 
entered with a host of followers, and the citadel remained in full 
possession of the Christians. 

As the Spanish cavaliers were ranging from room to room, the 



A FIGHT BY DAYLIGHT. 43 



marques of Cadiz, entering an apartment of superior richness to 
the rest, beheld, by the light of a silver lamp, a beautiful Moorish 
female, the wife of the alcayde of the castle, whose husband was 
absent, attending a wedding-feast at Velez Malaga. She would 
have fled at the sight of a Christian warrior in her apartment, 
but, entangled in the covering of the bed, she fell at the feet of 
the marques, imploring mercy. That Christian cavalier, who had 
a soul full of honor and courtesy towards the sex, raised her from 
the floor, and endeavored to allay her fears ; but they were in- 
creased at the sight of her female attendants, pursued into the room 
by the Spanish soldiery. The marques reproached his soldiers 
with unmanly conduct, and reminded them that they made war 
upon men, not on defenceless women. Having soothed the terrors 
of the females by the promise of honorable protection, he appointed 
a trusty guard to watch over the security of their apartment. 

The castle was now taken ; but the town below it was in arms. 
It was broad day, and the people, recovered from their panic, were 
enabled to see and estimate the force of the enemy. The inhab- 
itants were chiefly merchants and tradespeople ; but the Moors 
all possessed a knowledge of the use of weapons, and were of 
brave and warlike spirit. They confided in the strength of their 
walls, and the certainty of speedy relief from Granada, which 
was but about eight leagues distant. Manning the battlements 
and towers, they discharged showers of stones and arrows, when- 
ever the part of the Christian army, without the walls, attempted 
to approach. They barricadoed the entrances of their streets, 
also, which opened towards the castle ; stationing men expert at 
the cross-bow and arquebuse. These kept up a constant fire upon 
the gate of the castle, so that no one could sally forth without 
being instantly shot down. Two valiant cavaliers, who attempted 
to lead forth a party in defiance of this fatal tempest, were shot 
dead at the very portal. 



44 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The Christians now found themselves in a situation of great 
peril. Reinforcements must soon arrive to the enemy from Gra- 
nada ; unless, therefore, they gained possession of the town in 
the course of the day, they were likely to be surrounded and be- 
leagured, without provisions, in the castle. Some observed that, 
even if they took the town, they should not be able to maintain 
possession of it. They proposed, therefore, to make booty of 
every thing valuable, to sack the castle, set it on fire, and make 
good their retreat to Seville. 

The marques of Cadiz was of different counsel. " God has 
given the citadel into Christian hands," said he ; " he will no 
doubt strengthen them to maintain it. We have gained the place 
with difficulty and bloodshed ; it would be a stain upon our honor 
to abandon it through fear of imaginary dangers. The adelan- 
tado and Don Diego de Merlo joined in his opinion ; but without 
their earnest and united remonstrances, the place would have been 
abandoned ; so exhausted were the troops by forced marches and 
hard fighting, and so apprehensive of the approach of the Moors 
of Granada. 

The strength and spirits of the party within the castle, were 
in some degree restored by the provisions which they found. The 
Christian army beneath the town, being also refreshed by a 
morning's repast, advanced vigorously to the attack of the walls. 
They planted their scaling-ladders, and, swarming up, sword in 
hand, fought fiercely with the Moorish soldiery upon the ramparts. 

In the meantime, the marques of Cadiz, seeing that the gate 
of the castle, which opened toward the city, was completely com- 
manded by the artillery of the enemy, ordered a large breach to 
be made in the wall, through which he might lead his troops to 
the attack ; animating them, in this perilous moment, by assuring 
them that the place should be given up to plunder, and its inhab- 
itants made captives. 



CAPTURE OF THE CITY. 45 



The breach being made, the marques put himself at the head 
of his troops, and entered sword in hand. A simultaneous at- 
tack was made by the Christians in every part — by the ramparts, 
by the gate, by the roofs and walls which connected the castle 
with the town. The Moors fought valiantly in their streets, from 
their windows, and from the tops of their houses. They were not 
equal to the Christians in bodily strength, for they were for the 
most part peaceful men, of industrious callings, and enervated by 
the frequent use of the warm bath ; but they were superior in 
number, and unconquerable in spirit ; old and young, strong and 
weak, fought with the same desperation. The Moors fought for 
property, for liberty, for life. They fought at their thresholds 
and their hearths, with the shrieks of their wives and children 
ringing in their ears, and they fought in the hope that each mo- 
ment would bring aid from Granada. They regarded neither 
their own wounds nor the death of their companions ; but con- 
tinued fighting until they fell, and seemed as if, when they could 
no longer contend, they would block up the thresholds of their 
beloved homes with their mangled bodies. The Christians fought 
for glory, for revenge, for the holy faith, and for the spoil of these 
wealthy infidels. Success would place a rich town at their mercy ; 
failure would deliver them into the hands of the tyrant of Gra- 
nada, 

The contest raged from morning until night, when the Moors 
began to yield. Retreating to a large mosque near the walls, 
they kept up so galling a fire from it with lances, cross-bows, and 
arquebuses, that for some time the Christians dared not approach. 
Covering themselves, at length, with bucklers and mantelets* to 
protect them from the deadly shower, the latter made their way 

* Mantelet — a movable parapet, made of thick planks, to protect troops, 
when advancing to sap or assault a walled place. 



46 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



to the mosque, and set fire to the doors. When the smoke and 
flames rolled in upon them, the Moors gave up all as lost. Many- 
rushed forth desperately upon the enemy, but were immediately 
slain ; the rest surrendered themselves captives. 

The struggle was now at an end ; the town remained at the 
mercy of the Christians ; and the inhabitants, both male and 
female, became the slaves of those who made them prisoners. 
Some few escaped by a mine or subterranean way, which led to 
the river, and concealed themselves, their wives and children, in 
caves and secret places ; but in three or four days, were compelled 
to surrender themselves through hunger. 

The town was given up to plunder, and the booty was im- 
mense. There were found prodigious quantities of gold and 
silver, and jewels, and rich silks, and costly stuffs of all kinds ; 
together with horses and beeves, and abundance of grain and oil, 
and honey, and all other productions of this fruitful kingdom ; 
for in Alhama were collected the royal rents and tributes of the 
surrounding country ; it was the richest town in the Moorish ter- 
ritory, and, from its great strength and its peculiar situation, was 
called the key to Granada. 

Great waste and devastation were committed by the Spanish 
soldiery ; for, thinking it would be impossible to keep possession 
of the place, they began to destroy whatever they could not take 
away. Immense jars of oil were broken, costly furniture shatter- 
ed to pieces, and magazines of grain broken open, and their con- 
tents scattered to the winds. Many Christian captives, who had 
been taken at Zahara, were found buried in a Moorish dungeon, 
and were triumphantly restored to light and liberty ; and a rene- 
gado Spaniard, who had often served as guide to the Moors in 
their incursions into the Christian territories, was hanged on the 
highest part of the battlements, for the edification of the army. 



A COURIER OF BAD NEWS. 47 



CHAPTER YL 

How the people of Granada were affected, on hearing of the capture of 
Alhama ; and how the Moorish King sallied forth to regain it. 

A Moorish horseman had spurred across the vega, nor reined his 
panting steed until he alighted at the gate of the Alhambra. He 
brought tidings to Muley Abul Hassan, of the attack upon Al- 
hama. " The Christians," said he, " are in the land. They 
came upon us, we know not whence or how, and scaled the walls 
of the castle in the night. There has been dreadful fighting and 
carnage in its towers and courts ; and when I spurred my steed 
from the gate of Alhama, the castle was in possession of the un- 
believers." 

Muley Abul Hassan felt for a moment as if swift retribution 
had come upon him for the woes he had inflicted upon Zahara. 
Still he flattered himself that this had only been some transient 
inroad of a party of marauders, intent upon plunder ; and that a 
little succor, thrown into the town, would be sufficient to expel 
them from the castle, and drive them from the land. He ordered 
out, therefore, a thousand of his chosen cavalry, and sent them in 
all speed to the assistance of Alhama. They arrived before its 
walls, the morning after its capture ; the Christian standards 
floated upon its towers, and a body of cavalry poured forth from 
its gates and came wheeling down into the plain to receive them. 



48 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The Moorish horsemen turned the reins of their steeds, and 
galloped back for Granada. They entered its gates in tumultuous 
confusion, spreading terror and lamentation by their tidings. 
" Alhama is fallen ! Alhama is fallen !" exclaimed they ; " the 
Christians garrison its walls ; the key of Granada is in the hands 
of the enemy !" 

When the people heard these words, they remembered the de- 
nunciation of the santon. His prediction seemed still to resound 
in every ear, and its fulfilment to be at hand. Nothing was heard 
throughout the city, but sighs and wailings. " Woe is me, Al- 
hama I" was in every mouth ; and this ejaculation of deep sorrow 
and doleful foreboding, came to be the burthen of a plaintive 
ballad, which remains until the present day.* 

Many aged men, who had taken refuge in Granada from other 
Moorish dominions which had fallen into the power of the Chris- 
tians, now groaned in despair at the thoughts that war was to 
follow them into this last retreat, to lay waste this pleasant land, 
and to bring trouble and sorrow upon their declining years. The 
women were more loud and vehement in their grief ; for they be- 
held the evils impending over their children, and what can 
restrain the agony of a mother's heart % Many of them made 
their way through the halls of the Alhambra into the presence of 
the king, weeping, and wailing, and tearing their hair. " Accursed 
be the day," cried they, " that thou hast lit the flame of war in 
our land ! May the holy Prophet bear witness before Allah, that 
we and our children are innocent of this act ! Upon thy head, 
and upon the heads of thy posterity, until the end of the world, 
rest the sin of the desolation of Zahara P'j 

* The mournful little Spanish romance of Ay de mi Alhama ! is supposed 
to he of Moorish origin, and to embody the grief of the people of Granada 
on this occasion. 

t Garibay, lib. 40, c. 29. 



A RAPID MOVEMENT. 49 



Muley Abul Hassan remained unmoved, amidst all this 
storm ; his heart was hardened (observes Fray Antonio Agapida) 
like that of Pharaoh, to the end that, through his blind violence 
and rage, he might produce the deliverance of the land from its 
heathen bondage. In fact, he was a bold and fearless warrior, 
and trusted soon to make this blow recoil upon the head of the 
enemy. He had ascertained that the captors of Alhama were but 
a handful : they were in the centre of his dominions, within a 
short distance of his capital. They were deficient in munitions 
of war, and provisions for sustaining a siege. By a rapid move- 
ment, he might surround them with a powerful army, cut off all 
aid from their countrymen, and entrap them in the fortress they 
had taken. 

To think was to act, with Muley Abul Hassan ; but he was 
prone to act with too much precipitation. He immediately set 
forth in person, with three thousand horse and fifty thousand foot, 
and in his eagerness to arrive at the scene of action, would not 
wait to provide artillery and the various engines required in a 
siege. " The multitude of my forces," said he, confidently, " will 
be sufficient to overwhelm the enemy." 

- The marques of Cadiz, who thus held possession of Alhama, 
had a chosen friend and faithful companion in arms, among the 
most distinguished of the Christian chivalry. This was Don 
Alonzo de Cordova, senior and lord of the house of Aguilar, and 
brother of G-onsalvo of Cordova, afterwards renowned as grand 
captain of Spain. As yet, Alonzo de Aguilar was the glory of 
his name and race — for his brother was but young in arms. He 
was one of the most hardy, valiant, and enterprising of the Spa- 
nish knights, and foremost in all service of a perilous and adven- 
turous nature. He had not been at hand, to accompany his 
friend Ponce de Leon, marques of Cadiz, in his inroad into the 
Moorish territory ; but he hastily assembled a number of retain- 
3 



50 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



ers, horse and foot, and pressed forward to join the enterprise. 
Arriving at the river Yeguas, he found the baggage of the army 
still upon its banks, and took charge of it to carry it to Alhama. 
The marques of Cadiz heard of the approach of his friend, whose 
march was slow in consequence of being encumbered by the bag- 
gage. He was within but a few leagues of Alhama, when scouts 
came hurrying into the place, with intelligence that the Moorish 
king was at hand with a powerful army. The marques of Cadiz 
was filled with alarm lest De Aguilar should fall into the hands of 
the enemy. Forgetting his own danger, and thinking only of 
that of his friend, he dispatched a well-mounted messenger to ride 
full speed, and warn him not to approach. 

The first determination of Alonzo de Aguilar, when he heard 
that the Moorish king was at hand, was to take a strong position 
in the mountains, and await his coming. The madness of an at- 
tempt with his handful of men to oppose an immense army, was 
represented to him with such force as to induce him to aban- 
don the idea ; he then thought of throwing himself into Alhama, 
to share the fortunes of his friend : but it was now too late. The 
Moor would infallibly intercept him, and he should only give the 
marques the additional distress of beholding him captured be- 
neath his walls. It was even urged upon him that he had no 
time for delay, if he would consult his own safety, which could 
only be insured by an immediate retreat into the Christian terri- 
tory. This last opinion was confirmed by the return of scouts, 
who brought information that Muley Abul Hassan had received 
notice of his movements, and was rapidly advancing in quest of 
him. It was with infinite reluctance that Don Alonzo de Aguilar 
yielded to these united and powerful reasons. Proudly and sul- 
lenly he drew off his forces, laden with the baggage of the army, 
and made an unwilling retreat towards Antiquera. Muley Abul 
Hassan pursued him for some distance through the mountains, 



SIEGE OF ALHAMA. 51 



but soon gave up the chase and turned with his forces upon 
Alhama. 

As the army approached the town, they beheld the fields 
strewn with the dead bodies of their countrymen, who had fallen 
in defence of the place, and had been cast forth and left unburied 
by the Christians. There they lay, mangled and exposed to 
every indignity ; while droves of half-famished dogs were preying 
upon them, and fighting and howling, over their hideous repast.* 
Furious at the sight, the Moors, in the first transports of their 
rage, attacked those ravenous animals : their next measure was to 
vent their fury upon the Christians. They rushed like madmen 
to the walls, applied scaling-ladders in all parts, without waiting 
for the necessary mantelets and other protections, — thinking, by 
attacking suddenly and at various points, to distract the enemy, 
and overcome them by the force of numbers. 

The marques of Cadiz, with his confederate commanders, dis- 
tributed themselves along the walls, to direct and animate their 
men in the defence. The Moors, in their blind fury, often 
assailed the most difficult and dangerous places. Darts, stones, 
and all kinds of missiles, were hurled down upon their defence- 
less heads. As fast as they mounted, they were cut down, or 
dashed from the battlements, their ladders overturned, and all 
who were on them precipitated headlong below. 

Muley Abul Hassan stormed with passion at the sight ; he 
sent detachment after detachment to scale the walls — but in vain ; 
they were like waves rushing upon a rock, only to dash them- 
selves to pieces. The Moors lay in heaps beneath the wall, and 
among them many of the bravest cavaliers of Granada. The 
Christians, also, sallied frequently from the gates, and made great 
havoc in the irregular multitude of assailants 

* Pulgar. Croirica. 



52 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Muley Abul Hassan now became sensible of his error in hur- 
rying from Granada without the proper engines for a siege. Des- 
titute of all means to batter the fortifications, the town remained 
uninjured, defying the mighty army which raged and roamed be- 
fore it. Incensed at being thus foiled, Muley Abul Hassan gave 
orders to undermine the walls. The Moors advanced with shouts 
to the attempt. They were received with a deadly fire from the 
ramparts, which drove them from their works. Repeatedly were 
they repulsed, and repeatedly did they return to the charge. The 
Christians not merely galled them from the battlements, but is- 
sued forth and cut them down in the excavations they were 
attempting to form. The contest lasted throughout a whole day, 
and by evening two thousand Moors were either killed or 
wounded. 

Muley Abul Hassan now abandoned all hope of carrying the 
place by assault, and attempted to distress it into terms by turn- 
ing the channel of the river which runs by its walls. On this 
stream the inhabitants depended for their supply of water ; the 
place being destitute of fountains and cisterns, from which cir- 
cumstance it is called Alhama la seca, or " the dry." 

A desperate conflict ensued on the banks of the river, the 
Moors endeavoring to plant palisades in its bed to divert the 
stream, and the Christians striving to prevent them. The Span- 
ish commanders exposed themselves to the utmost danger to ani- 
mate their men, who were repeatedly driven back into the town. 
The marques of Cadiz was often up to his knees in the stream, 
fighting hand to hand with the Moors. The water ran red with 
blood, and was encumbered with dead bodies. At length, the 
overwhelming numbers of the Moors gave them the advantage, 
and they succeeded in diverting the greater part of the water. 
The Christians had to struggle severely, to supply themselves 
from the feeble rill which remained. They sallied to the river by 



SIEGE OF ALHAMA. 53 



a subterraneous passage ; but the Moorish cross-bowmen stationed 
themselves on the opposite bank, keeping up a heavy fire upon 
the Christians, whenever they attempted to fill their vessels from 
the scanty and turbid stream. One party of the Christians had, 
therefore, to fight, while another drew water. At all hours of the 
day and night, this deadly strife was maintained, until it seemed 
as if every drop of water were purchased with a drop of blood. 

In the mean time the sufferings of the town became intense. 
None but the soldiery and their horses were allowed the precious 
beverage so dearly earned, and even that in quantities that only 
tantalized their wants. The wounded, who could not sally to 
procure it, were almost destitute ; while the unhappy prisoners, 
shut up in the mosques, were reduced to frightful extremities. 
Many perished raving mad, fancying themselves swimming in 
boundless seas, yet unable to assuage their thirst. Many of the 
soldiers lay parched and panting along the battlements, no longer 
able to draw a bowstring or hurl a stone ; while above five thou- 
sand Moors, stationed upon a rocky height which overlooked part 
of the town, kept up a galling fire into it with slings and cross- 
bows ; so that the marques of Cadiz was obliged to heighten the 
battlements, by using the doors from the private dwellings. 

The Christian cavaliers, exposed to this extreme peril, and 
in imminent danger of falling into the hands of the enemy, dis- 
patched fleet messengers to Seville and Cordova, entreating the 
chivalry of Andalusia to hasten to their aid. They sent likewise, 
imploring assistance from the king and queen, who at that time 
held their court in Medina del Campo. In the midst of their 
distress, a tank, or cistern, of water, was ^fortunately discovered 
in the city, which gave temporary relief to their sufferings. 



54 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER VII. 

How the duke of Medina Sidonia, and the chivalry of Andalusia, has- 
tened to the relief of Alhama. 

The perilous situation of the Christian cavaliers, pent up and be- 
leaguered within the walls of Alhama, spread terror among their 
friends, and anxiety throughout all Andalusia. Nothing, how- 
ever, could equal the anguish of the marchioness of Cadiz, the 
wife of the gallant Roderigo Ponce de Leon. In her deep dis- 
tress, she looked round for some powerful noble, who had the 
means of rousing the country to the assistance of her husband. 
No one appeared more competent for the purpose than Don Juan 
de Guzman, the duke of Medina Sidonia. He was one of the 
most wealthy and puissant grandees of Spain ; his possessions ex- 
tended over some of the most fertile parts of Andalusia, embra- 
cing towns, and seaports, and numerous villages. Here he reigned 
in feudal state, like a petty sovereign, and could at any time bring 
into the field an immense force of vassals and retainers. 

The duke of Medina Sidonia and the marques of Cadiz, how- 
ever, were at this time deadly foes. An hereditary feud existed 
between them, which had often arisen to bloodshed and open war ; 
for as yet the fierce contests between the proud and puissant 
Spanish nobles had not been completely quelled by the power of 
the crown, and in this respect they exerted a right of sovereignty, 
in leading their vassals against each other in open field. 



SIEGE OF ALHAMA. 55 



The duke of Medina Sidonia would have appeared, to many, 
the very last person to whom to apply for aid of the marques of 
Cadiz ; but the marchioness judged of him by the standard of her 
own high and generous mind. She knew him to be a gallant and 
courteous knight, and had already experienced the magnanimity 
of his spirit, having been relieved by him when besieged by the 
Moors in her husband's fortress of Arcos. To the duke, there- 
fore, she applied in this moment of sudden calamity, imploring 
him to furnish succor to her husband. The event showed how 
well noble spirits understand each other. JSTo sooner did the 
duke receive this appeal from the wife of his enemy, than he gen- 
erously forgot all feeling of animosity, and determined to go in 
person to his succor. He immediately dispatched a courteous 
letter to the marchioness, assuring her that in consideration of the 
request of so honorable and estimable a lady, and to rescue from 
peril so valiant a cavalier as her husband, whose loss would be 
great, not only to Spain, but to all Christendom, he would forego 
the recollection of all past grievances, and hasten to his relief 
with all the forces he could raise 

The duke wrote at the same time to the alcaydes of his towns 
and fortresses, ordering them to join him forthwith at Seville, 
with all the forces they could spare from their garrisons. He 
called on all the chivalry of Andalusia to make a common cause 
in the rescue of those Christian cavaliers, and he offered large 
pay to all volunteers who would resort to him with horses, armor, 
and provisions. Thus all who could be incited by honor, religion, 
patriotism, or thirst of gain, were induced to hasten to his stand- 
ard, and he took the field with an army of five thousand horse 
and fifty thousand foot.* Many cavaliers of distinguished name 
accompanied him in this generous enterprise. Among these was 

* Cronica de los Duques de Medina Sidonia, por Pedro de Medina. MS. 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the redoubtable Alonzo de Aguilar, the chosen friend of the 
marques of Cadiz, and with him his younger brother, Gonsalvo 
Fernandez de Cordova, afterwards renowned as the grand cap- 
tain ; Don Roderigo Giron, also, Master of the order of Cala- 
trava, together with Martin Alonzo de Montemayor, and the 
marques De Villena, esteemed the best lance in Spain. It was a 
gallant and splendid army, comprising the flower of Spanish 
chivalry, and poured forth in brilliant array from the gates of 
Seville, bearing the great standard of that ancient and renowned 
city. 

Ferdinand and Isabella were at Medina del Campo, when 
tidings came of the capture of Alhama. The king was at mass 
when he received the news, and ordered te deum to be chanted 
for this signal triumph of the holy faith. When the first flush 
of triumph had subsided, and the king learnt the imminent peril 
of the valorous Ponce de Leon and his companions, and the great 
danger that this stronghold might again be wrested from their 
grasp, he resolved to hurry in person to the scene of action. So 
pressing appeared to him the emergency, that he barely gave him- 
self time to take a hasty repast while horses were providing, and 
then departed at furious speed for Andalusia, leaving a request 
for the queen to follow him.* He was attended by Don Beltram 
de la Cueva, duke of Albuquerque, Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, 
count of Tendilla, and Don Pedro Mauriques, count of Trevino, 
with a few more cavaliers of prowess and distinction. He tra- 
velled by forced journeys, frequently changing his jaded horses, 
being eager to arrive in time to take command of the Andalusian 
chivalry. When he arrived within five leagues of Cordova, the 
duke of Albuquerque remonstrated with him upon entering, with 
such incautious haste, intothe enemies' country. He represented 

* Illescas. Hist. Pontifical. 



SIEGE OF ALHAMA. 57 



to him that there were troops enough assembled to succor Al- 
hama, and that it was not for him to venture his royal person in 
doing what could be done by his subjects ; especially as he had 
such valiant and experienced captains to act for him. " Besides, 
sire," added the duke, "your majesty should bethink you that 
the troops about to take the field are mere men of Andalusia, 
whereas your illustrious predecessors never made an inroad into 
the territory of the Moors, without being accompanied by a pow- 
erful force of the stanch and iron warriors of old Castile." 

" Duke," replied the king, " your counsel might have been 
good, had I not departed from Medina with the avowed deter- 
mination of succoring these cavaliers in person. I am now near 
the end of my journey, and it would be beneath my dignity to 
change my intention, before even I had met with an impediment. 
I shall take the troops of this country who are assembled, without 
waiting for those of Castile, and with the aid of God, shall pro- 
secute my journey."* 

As king Ferdinand approached Cordova, the principal inhabit- 
ants came forth to receive him. Learning, however, that the 
duke of Medina Sidonia was already on the march, and pressing 
forward into the territory of the Moors, the king was all on fire 
to overtake him, and to lead in person the succor to Alhama. 
Without entering Cordova, therefore, he exchanged his weary 
horses for those of the inhabitants who had come forth to meet 
him, and pressed forward for the army. He dispatched fleet 
couriers in advance, requesting the duke of Medina Sidonia to 
await his coming, that he might take command of the forces. 

Neither the duke nor his companions » in arms, however, felt 
inclined to pause in their generous expedition, and gratify the 
inclinations of the king. They sent back missives, representing 



* Pulgar. Cronica, p. 3. cap. 3. 
3* 



58 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



that they were far within the enemies' frontier, and it was danger- 
ous either to pause or turn back. They had likewise received 
pressing entreaties from the besieged to hasten their speed, setting 
forth their great sufferings, and their hourly peril of being over- 
whelmed by the enemy. 

The king was at Ponton del Maestre, when he received these 
missives. So inflamed was he with zeal for the success of this 
enterprise, that he would have penetrated into the kingdom of 
Granada with the handful of cavaliers who accompanied him, but 
they represented the rashness of such a journey, through the 
mountainous defiles of a hostile country, thickly beset with towns 
and castles. With some difficulty, therefore, he was dissuaded 
from his inclination, and prevailed upon to await tidings from the 
army, in the frontier city of Antiquera. 



SEQUEL OF EVENTS AT ALHAMA. 59 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Sequel of the events at Alhama. 

While all Andalusia was thus in arms, and pouring its chivalry 
through the mountain passes of the Moorish frontiers, the garri- 
son of Alhama was reduced to great extremity, and in danger of 
sinking under its sufferings before the promised succor could 
arrive. The intolerable thirst that prevailed in consequence of 
the scarcity of water, the incessant watch that had to be main- 
tained over the vast force of enemies without, and the great 
number of prisoners within, and the wounds which almost every 
soldier had received in the incessant skirmishes and assaults, had 
worn grievously both flesh and spirit. The noble Ponce de Leon, 
marques of Cadiz, still animated the soldiery, however, by word 
and example, sharing every hardship and being foremost in every 
danger ; exemplifying that a good commander is the vital spirit 
of an army. 

When Muley Abul Hassan heard of the vast force that was 
approaching under the command of the duke of Medina Sidonia, 
and that Ferdinand was coming in person with additional troops, 
he perceived that no time was to be lost : Alhama must be 
carried by one powerful attack, or abandoned entirely to the 
Christians. 



60 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



A number of Moorish cavaliers, some of the bravest youth 
of Granada, knowing the wishes of the king, proposed to under- 
take a desperate enterprise, which, if successful, must put Alhama 
in his power. Early one morning, when it was scarcely the gray 
of the dawn, about the time of changing the watch, these cava- 
liers approached the town, at a place considered inaccessible, from 
the steepness of the rocks on which the wall was founded ; which, 
it was supposed, elevated the battlements beyond the reach of the 
longest scaling-ladder. The Moorish knights, aided by a number 
of the strongest and most active escaladors, mounted these rocks, 
and applied the ladders, without being discovered ; for, to divert 
attention from them, Muley Abul Hassan made a false attack 
upon the town in another quarter. 

The scaling party mounted with difficulty, and in small num- 
bers ; the sentinel was killed at his post, and seventy of the 
Moors made their way into the streets before an alarm was given. 
The guards rushed to the walls, to stop the hostile throng that 
was still pouring in. A sharp conflict, hand to hand and man to 
man, took place on the battlements, and many on both sides fell. 
The Moors, whether wounded or slain, were thrown headlong 
without the walls ; the scaling-ladders were overturned, and those 
who were mounting were dashed upon the rocks, and from thence 
tumbled upon the plain. Thus, in a little while, the ramparts 
were cleared by Christian prowess, led on by that valiant knight 
Don Alonzo Ponce, the uncle, and that brave esquire Pedro 
Pineda, nephew of the marques of Cadiz. 

The walls being cleared, these two kindred cavaliers now 
hastened with their forces in pursuit of the seventy Moors who 
had gained an entrance into the town. The main party of the 
garrison being engaged at a distance resisting the feigned attack 
of the Moorish king, this fierce band of infidels had ranged the 
streets almost without opposition, and were making their way to 



SEQUEL OF EVENTS AT ALHAMA. 61 



the gates to throw them open to the army.* They were chosen 
men from among the Moorish forces, several of them gallant 
knights of the proudest families of Granada. Their footsteps 
through the city were in a manner printed in blood, and they 
were tracked by the bodies of those they had killed and wounded. 
They had attained the gate ; most of the guard had fallen be- 
neath their scimetars ; a moment more, and Alhama would have 
been thrown open to the enemy. 

Just at this juncture, Don Alonzo Ponce and Pedro de 
Pineda reached the spot with their forces. The Moors had the 
enemy in front and rear ; they placed themselves back to back, 
with their banner in the centre. In this way they fought with 
desperate and deadly determination, making a rampart around 
them with the slain. More Christian troops arrived, and hemmed 
them in ; but still they fought, without asking for quarters. As 
their number decreased, they serried their circle still closer ; de- 
fending their banner from assault ; and the last Moor died at his 
post, grasping the standard of the Prophet. This standard was 
displayed from the walls, and the turbaned heads of the Moors 
were thrown down to the besiegers. f 

Muley Abul Hassan tore his beard with rage at the failure of 
this attempt, and at the death of so many of his chosen cavaliers. 
He saw that all further effort was in vain ; his scouts brought 
word that they had seen from the heights, the long columns and 
flaunting banners of the Christian army approaching through the 
mountains. To linger, would be to place himself between two bodies 
of the enemy. Breaking up his camp, therefore, in all haste, he 
gave up the siege of Alhama, and hastened back to Granada ; and 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 43. 

f Pedro de Pineda received the honor of knighthood from the hand of 
king Ferdinand, for his valor on this occasion ; (Alonzo Ponce was already 
knight.) — See Zuniga, Annales of Seville, lib. 12, an. 1482. 



62 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the last clash of his cymbals scarce died upon the ear from the 
distant hills, before the standard of the duke of Medina Sidonia 
was seen emerging in another direction from the denies of the 
mountains. 

When the Christians in Alhama beheld their enemies retreat- 
ing on one side, and their friends advancing on the other, they 
uttered shouts of joy and hymns of thanksgiving, for it was as a 
sudden relief from present death. Harassed by several weeks of 
incessant vigil and fighting, suffering from scarcity of provisions 
and almost continual thirst, they resembled skeletons rather than 
living men. It was a noble and gracious spectacle — the meeting 
of those hitherto inveterate foes, the duke of Medina Sidonia and 
the marques of Cadiz. At sight of his magnanimous deliverer 
the marques melted into tears : all past animosities only gave the 
greater poignancy to present feelings of gratitude and admiration. 
The late deadly rivals clasped each other in their arms, and from 
that time forward were true and cordial friends. 

While this generous scene took place between the command- 
ers, a sordid contest arose among their troops. The soldiers who 
had come to the rescue claimed a portion of the spoils of Alhama ; ' 
and so violent was the dispute, that both parties seized their 
arms. The duke of Medina Sidonia interfered, and settled the 
question with his characteristic magnanimity. He declared that 
the spoil belonged to those who had captured the city. " We have 
taken the field," said he, " only for honor, for religion, and for the 
rescue of our countrymen and fellow Christians ; and the success 
of our enterprise is a sufficient and a glorious reward. If we desire 
booty, there are sufficient Moorish cities yet to be taken, to enrich 
us all." The soldiers were convinced by the frank and chival- 
rous reasoning of the duke ; they replied to his speech by accla- 
mations, and the transient broil was happily appeased. 

The marchioness of Cadiz, with the forethought of a loving 



SPANISH CHIVALRY. 63 



wife, had dispatched her major-domo with the army, with a large 
supply of provisions. Tables were immediately spread beneath 
the tents, where the marques gave a banquet to the duke and the 
cavaliers who had accompanied him, and nothing but hilarity pre- 
vailed in this late scene of suffering and death. 

A garrison of fresh troops was left in Alhama ; and the vete- 
rans who had so valiantly captured and maintained it, returned 
to their homes, burthened with precious booty. The marques and 
duke, with their confederate cavaliers, repaired to Antiquera, 
where they were received with great distinction by the king, who 
honored the marques of Cadiz with signal marks of favor. The 
duke then accompanied his late enemy, but now most zealous and 
grateful friend, the marques of Cadiz, to his town of Marchena, 
where he received the reward of his generous conduct, in the 
thanks and blessings of the marchioness. The marques cele- 
brated a sumptuous feast, in honor of his guest ; for a day and 
night, his palace was thrown open, and was the scene of continual 
revel and festivity. When the duke departed for his estates at 
St. Lucar, the marques attended him for some distance on his 
journey ; and when they separated, it was as the parting scene of 
brothers. Such was the noble spectacle exhibited to the chivalry 
of Spain, by these two illustrious rivals. Each reaped universal 
renown from the part he had performed in the campaign ; the 
marques, from having surprised and captured one of the most im- 
portant and formidable fortresses of the kingdom of Granada ; 
and the duke, from having subdued his deadliest foe, by a great 
act of magnanimity. 



64 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Events at Granada, and rise of the Moorish King Boabdil el Chico. 

The Moorish king, Abul Hassan, returned, baffled and disap- 
pointed, from before the walls of Alhama, and was received with 
groans and smothered execrations by the people of Granada. 
The prediction of the santon was in every mouth, and appeared 
to be rapidly fulfilling ; for the enemy was already strongly forti- 
fied in Alhama, in the very heart of the kingdom. At the same 
time the nobles who had secretly conspired to depose the old 
king and elevate his son Boabdil to the throne, had matured 
their plans, in concert with the prince, who had been joined in 
G-uadix by hosts of adherents. An opportunity soon presented 
to carry their plans into operation. 

Muley Abul Hassan had a royal country palace, with gardens 
and fountains, called the Alixares, situated on the Cerro del Sol, 
or Mountain of the Sun ; a height, the ascent to which leads up 
from the Alhambra, but which towers far above that fortress, and 
looks down as from the clouds upon it, and upon the subjacent 
city of Granada. It was a favorite retreat of the Moorish kings, 
to inhale the pure mountain breezes, and leave far below the din 
and turmoil of the city. Muley Abul Hassan had passed a 
day among its bowers, in company with his favorite wife, Zoraya, 
when, towards evening, he heard a strange sound rising from the 
city, like the gathering of a storm, or the sullen roar of the 



CIVIL WAR IN THE CITY. 65 



ocean. Apprehensive of evil, he ordered the officers of his guard 
to descend with all speed to the city, and reconnoitre. The intel- 
ligence brought back was astounding. A civil war was raging in 
the city. Boabdil had been brought from Gruadix by the conspi- 
rators, the foremost of whom were the gallant race of the Aben- 
cerrages. He had entered the Albaycin in triumph, and been 
hailed with rapture, and proclaimed king in that populous quarter 
of the city. Abul Cacim Vanegas, the vizier, at the head of the 
royal guards, had attacked the rebels ; and the noise which had 
alarmed the king, was the din of fighting in the streets and 
squares. 

Muley Abul Hassan hastened to descend to the Alhambra, 
confident that, ensconced in that formidable fortress, he could soon 
put an end to the rash commotion. To his surprise and dismay 
he found the battlements lined with hostile troops ; Aben Co- 
mixa, the alcayde, had declared in favor of Boabdil, and elevated 
his standard on the towers ; thus, cut off from his stronghold, 
the old monarch was fain to return to the Alixares. 

The conflict lasted throughout the night with carnage on both 
sides. In the morning Abul Cacim, driven out of the city, 
appeared before the old king with his broken squadrons, and told 
him there was no safety but in flight. " Allah Achbar, (God is 
great !)" exclaimed old Muley, "it is in vain to contend against 
what is written in the book of fate. It was predestined that my 
son should sit upon the throne — Allah forfend the rest of the 
prediction." So saying he made a hasty retreat, escorted by 
Abul Cacim Vanegas and his troops, who conducted him to the 
castle of Mondujar, in the valley of Locriri. Here he was joined 
by many powerful cavaliers, relatives of Abul Cacim and parti- 
sans of Zoraya ; among whom were Cid Hiaya, Aben Jamy, and 
Reduan Vanegas, men who had alcaydes, vassals at their com- 
mand, and possessed great influence in Almeria and Baza. He 



66 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



was joined, also, by his brother Abdallah, commonly called El 
Zagal, or the Valiant ; who was popular in many parts of the 
kingdom. All these offered to aid him with their swords in 
suppressing the rebellion. 

Thus reinforced, Muley Abul Hassan determined on a sudden 
blow for the recovery of his throne and the punishment of the 
rebels. He took his measures with that combination of dexterity 
and daring which formed his character, and arrived one night 
under the walls of Granada, with five hundred chosen followers. 
Scaling the walls of the Alhambra, he threw himself with san- 
guinary fury into its silent courts. The sleeping inmates were 
roused from their repose only to fall by the exterminating scime- 
tar. The rage of Abul Hassan spared neither age, nor rank, nor 
sex ; the halls resounded with shrieks and yells, and the foun- 
tains ran red with blood. The alcayde, Aben Comixa, retreated 
to a strong tower, with a few of the garrison and inhabitants. 
The furious Abul Hassan did not lose time in pursuing him ; he 
was anxious to secure the city, and to wreak his vengeance on its 
rebellious inhabitants. Descending with his bloody band into 
the streets, he cut down the defenceless inhabitants, as, startled 
from their sleep, they rushed forth to learn the cause of the 
alarm. The city was soon completely roused ; the people flew to 
arms ; lights blazed in every street, revealing the scanty number 
of this band, that had been dealing such fatal vengeance in the 
dark. Muley Abul Hassan had been mistaken in his conjec- 
tures ; the great mass of the people, incensed by his tyranny, 
were zealous in favor of his son. A violent, but transient con- 
flict took place in the streets and squares : many of the followers 
of Abul Hassan were slain ; the rest driven out of the city ; and 
the old monarch, with the remnant of his band, retreated to his 
loyal city of Malaga. 

Such was the commencement of those great internal feuds and 



EL REY CHICO. 67 



divisions, which hastened the downfall of Granada. The Moors 
became separated into two hostile factions, headed by the father 
and the son, the latter of whom was called by the Spaniards El 
Key Chico : or the Young King ; but though bloody encounters 
took place between them, they never failed to act with all their 
separate force against the Christians, as a common enemy, when- 
ever an opportunity occurred. 



68 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






CHAPTER X. 

Royal Expedition against Loxa. 

King Ferdinand held a council of war at Cordova, where it was 
deliberated what was to be done with Alhama. Most of the 
council advised that it should be demolished, inasmuch as being 
in the centre of the Moorish kingdom, it would be at all times 
liable to attack, and could only be maintained by a powerful 
garrison and at a vast expense. Queen Isabella arrived at Cor- 
dova in the midst of these deliberations, and listened to them with 
surprise and impatience. " What !" said she," destroy the first 
fruits of our victories ? Abandon the first place we have wrested 
from the Moors ? Never let us suffer such an idea to occupy our 
minds. It would argue fear or feebleness, and give new courage 
to the enemy. You talk of the toil and expense of maintaining 
Alhama. Did we doubt, on undertaking this war, that it was to 
be one of infinite cost, labor, and bloodshed? And shall we 
shrink from the cost, the moment a victory is obtained, and the 
question is merely to guard or abandon its glorious trophy ? Let 
us hear no more about the destruction of Alhama ; let us main- 
tain its walls sacred, as a stronghold granted us by Heaven, in the 
centre of this hostile land ; and let our only consideration be 
how to extend our conquest, and capture the surrounding cities. " 
The language of the queen infused a more lofty and chival- 






WARLIKE PREPARATIONS. 69 



rous spirit into the royal council. Preparations were made to 
maintain Alhama at all risk and expense ; and king Ferdinand 
appointed, as alcayde, Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, Senior of 
the house of Palma, supported by Diego Lopez de Ayala, Pero 
Ruiz de Alarcon, and Alonzo Ortis, captains of four hundred 
lances, and a body of one thousand foot ; supplied with provisions 
for three months. 

Ferdinand resolved also to lay siege to Loxa, or Loja, a city 
of great strength, at no great distance from Alhama, and all im- 
portant to its protection. It was in fact a military point, situated 
in a pass of the mountains between the kingdoms of Granada 
and Castile, and commanded a main entrance to the vega. The 
Xenil flowed by its walls, and it had a strong castle or citadel 
built on a rock. In preparing for the siege of this formidable 
place, Ferdinand called upon all the cities and towns of Anda- 
lusia and Estramadura, and the domains of the orders of Santi- 
ago, Calatrava, and Alcantara, and of the priory of St. Juan, and 
the kingdom of Toledo, and beyond to the cities of Salamanca, 
Toro, and Valladolid, to furnish, according to their repartimientos 
or allotments, a certain quantity of bread, wine, and cattle, to be 
delivered at the royal camp before Loxa, one-half at the end of 
June, and one-half in July. These lands, also, together with 
Biscay and Guipiscoa, were ordered to send reinforcements of 
horse and foot, each town furnishing its quota; and great dili- 
gence was used in providing bombards, powder, and other warlike 
munitions. 

The Moors were no less active in their preparations, and sent 
missives into Africa, entreating supplies^ and calling upon the 
Barbary princes to aid them in this war of the faith. To inter- 
cept all succor, the Castilian sovereigns stationed an armada of 
ships and galleys in the Straits of Gibraltar, under the command 
of Martin Diaz de Mina and Carlos de Valera, with orders to 



70 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



scour the Barbary coast, and sweep every Moorish sail from 
the sea. 

While these preparations were making, Ferdinand made an 
incursion, at the head of his army, into the kingdom of Granada, 
and laid waste the vega, destroying its hamlets and villages, 
ravaging its fields of grain, and driving away the cattle. 

It was about the end of June, that king Ferdinand departed 
from Cordova, to sit down before the walls of Loxa. So confi- 
dent was he of success, that he left a great part of the army at 
Ecija, and advanced with but five thousand cavalry and eight 
thousand infantry. The marques of Cadiz, a warrior as wise as 
he was valiant, remonstrated against employing so small a force, 
and indeed was opposed to the measure altogether, as being un- 
dertaken precipitately and without sufficient preparation. King 
Ferdinand, however, was influenced by the counsel of Don Diego 
de Merlo, and was eager to strike a brilliant and decided blow. 
A vainglorious confidence prevailed, about this time, among the 
Spanish cavaliers ; they overrated their own prowess, or rather 
they undervalued and despised their enemy. Many of them be- 
lieved that the Moors would scarcely remain in their city, when 
they saw the Christian troops advancing to assail it. The Span- 
ish chivalry, therefore, marched gallantly and fearlessly, and al- 
most carelessly, over the border, scantily supplied with the things 
needful for a besieging army, in the heart of an enemy's country. 
In the same negligent and confident spirit, they took up their 
station before Loxa. 

The country around was broken and hilly, so that it was ex- 
tremely difficult to form a combined camp. The river Xenil, 
which runs by the town, was compressed between high banks, and 
so deep as to be fordable with extreme difficulty ; and the Moors 
had possession of the bridge. The king pitched his tents in a 
plantation of olives, on the banks of the river ; the troops were 



INSECURITY OF THE CAMP. 71 



distributed in different encampments on the heights, but sepa- 
rated from each other by deep rocky ravines, so as to be incapa- 
ble of yielding each other prompt assistance. There was no 
room for the operation of the cavalry. The artillery, also, was 
so injudiciously placed, as to be almost entirely useless. Alonzo 
of Aragon, duke of Villahermosa, and illegitimate brother of the 
king, was present at the siege, and disapproved of the whole ar- 
rangement. He was one of the most able generals of his time, 
and especially renowned for his skill in battering fortified places. 
He recommended that the whole disposition of the camp should 
be changed, and that several bridges should be thrown across the 
river. His advice was adopted, but slowly and negligently fol- 
lowed, so that it was rendered of no avail. Among other over- 
sights in this hasty and negligent expedition, the army had no 
supply of baked bread ; and, in the hurry of encampment, there 
was no time to erect furnaces. Cakes were therefore hastily 
made, and baked on the coals, and for two days the troops were 
supplied in this irregular way. 

King Ferdinand felt, too late, the insecurity of his position, 
and endeavored to provide a temporary remedy. There was a 
height near the city, called by the Moors Santo Albohacen, which 
was in front of the bridge. He ordered several of his most 
valiant cavaliers to take possession of this height, and to hold it 
as a check upon the enemy and a protection to the camp. The 
cavaliers chosen for this distinguished and perilous post, were, 
the marques of Cadiz, the marques of Villena, Don Eoderigo 
Tellez Griron, master of Calatrava, his brother the count of Urena, 
and Don Alonzo de Aguilar. These valiant warriors, and tried 
companions in arms, led their troops with alacrity to the height, 
which soon glittered with the array of arms, and was graced by 
several of the most redoubtable pennons of warlike Spain. 

Loxa was commanded at this time by an old Moorish alcayde, 



72 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



whose daughter was the favorite wife of Boabdil. The name of 
this moor was Ibrahim Ali Atar, but he was generally known 
among the Spaniards as Alatar. He had grown gray in border 
warfare, was an implacable enemy of the Christians, and his name 
had long been the terror of the frontier. Lord of Zagra, and in 
the receipt of rich revenues, he expended them all in paying 
scouts and spies, and maintaining a small but chosen force, with 
which to foray into the Christian territories ; and so straitened 
was he at times by these warlike expenses, that when his daugh- 
ter married Boabdil, her bridal dress and jewels had to be bor- 
rowed. He was now in the ninetieth year of his age, yet indomi- 
table in spirit, fiery in his passions, sinewy and powerful in frame, 
deeply versed in warlike stratagem, and accounted the best lance 
in all Mauritania. He had three thousand horsemen under his 
command, veteran troops, with whom he had often scoured the 
borders ; and he daily expected the old Moorish king, with rein- 
forcements. 

Old Ali Atar had watched from his fortress every movement 
of the Christian army, and had exulted in all the errors of its 
commanders : when he beheld the flower of Spanish chivalry, 
glittering about the height of Albohacen, his eye flashed with ex- 
ultation. " By the aid of Allah," said he, " I will give those 
pranking cavaliers a rouse." 

Ali Atar, privately, and by night, sent forth a large body of 
his chosen troops, to lie in ambush near one of the skirts of Albo- 
hacen. On the fourth day of the siege, he sallied across the 
bridge, and made a feint attack upon the height. The cavaliers 
rushed impetuously forth to meet him, leaving their encampment 
almost unprotected. Ali Atar wheeled and fled, and was hotly 
pursued. When the Christian cavaliers had been drawn a consi- 
derable distance from their encampment, they heard a vast shout 
behind them, and, looking round, beheld their encampment as- 






THE BLOODY FIGHT OF ALBOHACEN. 73 



Sailed by the Moorish force which had been placed in ambush, 
and which had ascended a different side of the hill. The cavaliers 
desisted from the pursuit, and hastened to prevent the plunder of 
their tents. Ali Atar, in his turn, wheeled and pursued them ; 
and they were attacked in front and rear on the summit of the 
hill. The contest lasted for an hour; the height of Albo- 
hacen was red with blood; many brave cavaliers fell, expir- 
ing among heaps of the enemy. The fierce Ali Atar fought 
with the fury of a demon, until the arrival of more Christian 
forces compelled him to retreat into the city. The severest loss 
to the Christians, in this skirmish, was that of Eoderigo Tellez 
Griron, grand master of Calatrava, whose burnished armor, embla- 
zoned with the red cross of his order, made him a mark for the 
missiles of the enemy. As he was raising his arm to make a 
blow, an arrow pierced him, just beneath the shoulder, at the 
open part of the corselet. The lance and bridle fell from his 
hands, he faltered in his saddle, and would have fallen to the 
ground, but was caught by Pedro Gasca, a cavalier of Avila, who 
conveyed him to his tent, where he died. The king and queen, 
and the whole kingdom, mourned his death, for he was in the 
freshness of his youth, being but twenty-four years of age, and 
had proved himself a gallant and high-minded cavalier. A me- 
lancholy group collected about his corse, on the bloody height of 
Albohacen: the knights of Calatrava mourned him as a com- 
mander ; the cavaliers who were encamped on the height lament- 
ed him as their companion in arms, in a service of peril ; while 
the count de Urena grieved over him with the tender affection of 
a brother. 

King Ferdinand now perceived the wisdom of the opinion of 

the marques of Cadiz, and that his force was quite insufficient for 

the enterprise. To continue his camp in its present unfortunate 

position, would cost him the lives of his bravest cavaliers, if not 

4 



74 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



a total defeat, in case of reinforcements to the enemy. He called 
a council of war, late in the evening of Saturday ; and it was de- 
termined to withdraw the army, early the next morning, to Rio 
Frio, a short distance from the city, and there wait for additional 
troops from Cordova. 

The next morning, early, the cavaliers on the height of Albo- 
hacen began to strike their tents. No sooner did Ali Atar be- 
hold this, than he sallied forth to attack them. Many of the 
Christian troops, who had not heard of the intention to change 
the camp, seeing the tents struck and the Moors sallying forth, 
supposed that the enemy had been reinforced in the night, and 
that the army was on the point of retreating. Without stopping 
to ascertain the truth, or to receive orders, they fled in dismay, 
spreading confusion through the camp ; nor did they halt until 
they had reached the Rock of the Lovers, about seven leagues 
from Loxa. # 

The king and his commanders saw the imminent peril of the 
moment, and made face to the Moors, each commander guarding 
his quarter and repelling all assaults, while the tents were struck 
and the artillery and ammunition conveyed away. The king, with 
a handful of cavaliers, galloped to a rising ground, exposed to the 
fire of the enemy, calling upon the flying troops and endeavoring 
in vain to rally them. Setting upon the Moors, he and his cava- 
liers charged them so vigorously, that they put a squadron to 
flight, slaying many with their swords and lances, and driving 
others into the river, where they were drowned. The Moors, 
however, were soon reinforced, and returned in great numbers. 
The king was in danger of being surrounded, and twice owed his 
safety to the valor of Don Juan de Ribera, Senior of Monte- 
mayor. 

* Pulgar. Cronica. 



PERILS OF THE COMMANDERS. 75 



The marques of Cadiz beheld, from a distance, the peril of 
his sovereign. Summoning about seventy horsemen to follow 
him, he galloped to the spot, threw himself between the king and 
the enemy, and, hurling his lance, transpierced one of the most 
daring of the Moors. For some time he remained with no other 
weapon than his sword ; his horse was wounded by an arrow, and 
many of his followers were slain ; but he succeeded in beating 
off the Moors, and rescuing the king from imminent jeopardy, 
whom he then prevailed upon to retire to less dangerous ground. 

The marques continued, throughout the day, to expose him- 
self to the repeated assaults of the enemy ; he was ever found in 
the place of the greatest danger, and through his bravery a great 
part of the army and camp was preserved from destruction.* 

It was a perilous day for the commanders ; for in a retreat of 
the kind, it is the noblest cavaliers who most expose themselves 
to save their people. The duke of Medina Celi was struck to 
the ground, but rescued by his troops. The count de Tendilla, 
whose tents were nearest to the city, received several wounds, and 
various other cavaliers of the most distinguished note were ex- 
posed to fearful jeopardy. The whole day was passed in bloody 
skirmishings, in which the hidalgos and cavaliers of the royal 
household distinguished themselves by their bravery ; at length, 
the encampments, being all broken up, and most of the artillery 
and baggage removed, the bloody height of Albohacen was aban- 
donded, and the neighborhood of Loxa evacuated. Several tents, 
a quantity of provisions, and a few pieces of artillery, were left 
upon the spot, from the want of horses and mules to carry them 
off. 

Ali Atar hung upon the rear of the retiring army, and ha- 
rassed it until it reached Rio Frio ; Ferdinand returned thence 



J 



* Cura de los Palacios, c. 58. 



76 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



to Cordova, deeply mortified, though greatly benefited, by the 
severe lesson he had received, which served to render him more 
cautious in his campaigns and more diffident of fortune. He 
sent letters to all parts, excusing his retreat, imputing it to the 
small number of his forces, and the circumstance that many of 
them were quotas sent from various cities, and not in royal pay ; 
in the mean time, to console his troops for their disappointment, 
and to keep up their spirits, he led them upon another inroad 
to lay waste the vega of Granada. 



FORAY OF MULEY ABUL HASSAN. 77 



CHAPTER XI. 

How Muley Abul Hassan made a foray into the lands of Medina Sidonia, 
and how he was received. 

Muley Abul Hassan had mustered an army, and marched to the 
relief of Loxa ; but arrived too late — the last squadron of Ferdi- 
nand had already passed over the border. " They have come and 
gone," said he, " like a summer cloud, and all their vaunting has 
been mere empty thunder." He turned to make another attempt 
upon Alhama, the garrison of which was in the utmost conster- 
nation at the retreat of Ferdinand, and would have deserted the 
place, had it not been for the courage and perseverance of the 
alcayde, Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero. That brave and loyal 
commander cheered up the spirits of his men, and kept the old 
Moorish king at bay, until the approach of Ferdinand, on his 
second incursion into the vega, obliged him to make an unwilling 
retreat to Malaga. 

Muley Abul Hassan felt that it would be in vain, with his 
inferior force, to oppose the powerful army of the Christian mon- 
arch ; but to remain idle and see his territories laid waste, would 
ruin him in the estimation of his people. Ci If we cannot parry," 
said he, " we can strike ; if we cannot keep our own lands from 
being ravaged, we can ravage the lands of the enemy." He in- 
quired and learnt that most of the chivalry of Andalusia, in their 
eagerness for a foray, had marched off with the king, and left 



78 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



their own country almost defenceless. The territories of the 
duke of Medina Sidonia were particularly unguarded : here were 
vast plains of pasturage, covered with flocks and herds — the very 
country for a hasty inroad. The old monarch had a bitter grudge 
against the duke for having foiled him at Alhama. " I'll give 
this cavalier a lesson," said he. exultingly, " that will cure him of 
his love of campaigning." So he prepared in all haste for a foray 
into the country about Medina Sidonia. 

Muley Abul Hassan sallied out of Malaga with fifteen hun- 
dred horse and six thousand foot, and took the way by the sea- 
coast, marching through Estiponia, and entering the Christian 
country between Gibraltar and Castellar. The only person that 
was likely to molest him on this route, was one Pedro de "Vargas ; 
a shrewd, hardy, and vigilant soldier, alcayde of Gibraltar, and 
who lay ensconced in his old warrior rock as in a citadel. Muley 
Abul Hassan knew the watchful and daring character of the man, 
but had ascertained that his garrison was too small to enable him 
to make a sally, or at least to insure him any success. Still he 
pursued his march, with great silence and caution ; sent parties 
in advance, to explore every pass where a foe might lie in am- 
bush ; cast many an anxious eye towards the old rock of Gibral- 
tar, as its cloud-capped summit was seen towering in the distance 
on his left ; nor did he feel entirely at ease, until he had passed 
through the broken and mountainous country of Castellar, and 
descended into the plains. Here he encamped on the banks of 
the Celemin, and sent four hundred corredors, or fleet horsemen, 
armed with lances, to station themselves near Algeziras, and keep 
a strict watch across the bay, upon the opposite fortress of 
Gibraltar. If the alcayde attempted to sally forth, they were to 
waylay and attack him, being almost four times his supposed 
force ; and were to send swift tidings to the camp. In the mean 
time, two hundred corredors were sent to scour that vast plain 



VIGILANCE OF PEDRO DE VARGAS. 79 



called the Campiiia de Tarifa, abounding with flocks and herds ; 
and two hundred more were to ravage the lands about Medina 
Sidonia. Muley Abul Hassan remained with the main body of 
the army, as a rallying point, on the banks of the Celemin. 

The foraging parties scoured the country to such effect, that 
they came driving vast flocks and herds before them, enough to 
supply the place of all that had been swept from the vega of 
Granada. The troops which had kept watch upon the rock of 
Gibraltar, returned with word that they had not seen a Chris- 
tian helmet stirring. The old king congratulated himself upon 
the secrecy and promptness with which he had conducted his 
foray, and upon having baffled the vigilance of Pedro de Vargas. 

He had not been so secret, however, as he imagined ; the 
watchful alcayde of Gibraltar had received notice of his move- 
ments ; but his garrison was barely sufficient for the defence of 
his post. Luckily there arrived at this juncture a squadron of 
the armed galleys, under Carlos de Valera, recently stationed in 
the Straits. Pedro de Vargas prevailed upon him to take charge 
of Gibraltar during his temporary absence, and forthwith sallied 
out at midnight, at the head of seventy chosen horsemen. By 
his command alarm fires were lighted on the mountains, signals 
that the Moors were on the ravage, at sight of which the peasants 
were accustomed to drive their flocks and herds to places of 
refuge. He sent couriers also spurring in every direction, sum- 
moning all capable of bearing arms to meet him at Castellar. 
This was a town strongly posted on a steep height, by which the 
Moorish king would have to return. 

Muley Abul Hassan saw by the fires 4 blazing on the moun- 
tains, that the country was rising. He struck his tents, and 
pushed forward as rapidly as possible for the border ; but he was 
encumbered with booty, and with the vast cavalgada swept from 
the pastures of the Campina de Tarifa. His scouts brought him 



80 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



word that there were troops in the field, but he made light of the 
intelligence, knowing that they could only be those of the alcayde 
of Gibraltar, and that he had not more than a hundred horsemen 
in his garrison. He threw in advance two hundred and fifty of 
Jlis bravest troops, and with them the alcaydes of Marabella and 
Jasares. Behind this van-guard followed a great cavalgada of 
cattle ; and in the rear marched the king, with the main force of 
his little army. . 

It was near the middle of a sultry summer day, when they 
approached Castellar. De Vargas was on the watch, and beheld, 
by an immense cloud of dust, that they were descending one of 
the heights of that wild and broken country. The van-guard and 
rear-guard were above half a league asunder, with the cavalgada 
between them ; and a long and close forest hid them from each 
other. De Vargas saw that they could render but little assist- 
ance to each other in case of a sudden attack, and might be easily 
thrown into confusion. He chose fifty of his bravest horsemen, 
and, making a circuit, took his post secretly in a narrow glen 
opening into a defile between two rocky heights, through which 
the Moors had to pass. It was his intention to suffer the van- 
guard and the cavalgada to pass, and to fall upon the rear. 

While thus lying perdue, six Moorish scouts, well mounted 
and well armed, entered the glen, examining every place that 
might conceal an enemy. Some of the Christians advised that 
they should slay these six men, and retreat to Gibraltar. " No," 
Said De Vargas, " I have come out for higher game than these ; 
and I hope, by the aid of God and Santiago, to do good work thi? 
day. I know these Moors well, and doubt not but that they 
may readily be thrown into confusion." 

By this time, the six horsemen approached so near that they 
were on the point of discovering the Christian ambush. De Var- 
gas gave the word, and ten horsemen rushed upon them ; in an 



THE MOORS ENTRAPPED BY AMBUSH. 81 



instant, four of the Moors rolled in the dust ; the other two put 
spurs to their steeds, and fled towards their army, pursued by the 
ten Christians. About eighty of the Moorish van-guard came 
galloping to the relief of their companions : the Christians turn- 
ed, and fled towards their ambush. De Vargas kept his men 
concealed, until the fugitives and their pursuers came clattering 
pell-mell into the glen. At a signal trumpet, his men sallied forth 
with great heat and in close array. The Moors almost rushed 
upon their weapons, before they perceived them ; forty of the In- 
fidels were overthrown, the rest turned their backs. u Forward !" 
cried De Vargas' ; u let us give the van-guard a brush, before it 
can be joined by the rear." So saying, he pursued the flying 
Moors down hill, and came with such force and fury upon the ad- 
vance guard as to overturn many of them at the first encounter. 
As he wheeled off with his men, the Moors discharged their 
lances ; upon which he returned to the charge, and made great 
slaughter. The Moors fought valiantly for a short time, until the 
alcaydes of Marabella and Casares were slain, when they gave 
way and fled for the rear-guard. In their flight, they passed 
through the cavalgada of cattle, threw the whole in confusion, and 
raised such a cloud of dust that the Christians could no longer 
distinguish objects. Fearing that the king and the main body 
might be at hand, and finding that De Vargas was badly wounded, 
they contented themselves with despoiling the slain and taking 
above twenty-eight horses, and then retreated to Castellar. 

When the routed Moors came flying back upon the rear-guard, 
Muley Abul Hassan feared that the people of Xeres were in 
arms. Several of his followers advised him to abandon the cav- 
algada, and retreat by another road. " No," said the old king, 
" he is no true soldier who gives up his booty without fighting." 
Putting spurs to his horse, he galloped forward through the centre 
of the cavalgada, driving the cattle to the right and left. Wheo 
4* 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



he reached the field of battle, he found it strewed with the bodies 
of upwards of one hundred Moors, among which were those of 
the two alcaydes. Enraged at the sight, he summoned all his 
cross-bowmen and cavalry, pushed on to the very gates of Cas- 
tellar, and set fire to two houses close to the walls. Pedro de 
Vargas was too severely wounded to sally forth in person ; but he 
ordered out his troops, and there was brisk skirmishing under 
the walls, until the king drew off and returned to the scene of 
the recent encounter. Here he had the bodies of the principal 
warriors laid across mules, to be interred honorably at Malaga ; 
the rest of the slain were buried on the field of battle. Then, 
gathering together the scattered cavalgada, he paraded it slowly, 
in an immense line, past the walls of Castellar, by way of taunt- 
ing his foe. 

With all his fierceness, old Muley Abul Hassan had a gleam 
of warlike courtesy, and admired the hardy and soldierlike char- 
acter of Pedro de Vargas. He summoned two Christian captives, 
and demanded what were the revenues of the alcayde of Gibraltar. 
They told him that, among other things, he was entitled to one 
out of every drove of cattle that passed his boundaries. " Allah 
forbid," cried the old monarch, " that so brave a cavalier should 
be defrauded of his dues." 

He immediately chose twelve of the finest cattle, from the 
twelve droves which formed the cavalgada. These he gave in 
charge to an alfaqui, to deliver to Pedro de Vargas. " Tell him," 
said he, u that I crave his pardon for not having sent these cattle 
sooner ; but I have this moment learnt the nature of his rights, 
and I hasten to satisfy them, with the punctuality due to so 
worthy a cavalier. Tell him, at the same time, that I had no 
idea the alcayde of Gibraltar was so active and vigilant in collect- 
ing his tolls." 

The brave alcayde relished the stern soldierlike pleasantry of 



MUTUAL COURTESIES. 83 



the old Moorish monarch. He ordered a rich silken vest, and a 
scarlet mantle, to be given to the alfaqui, and dismissed him with 
great courtesy. " Tell his majesty," said he, " that I kiss his 
hands for the honor he has done me, and regret that my scanty 
force has not permitted me to give him a more signal reception, 
on his coming into these parts. Had three hundred horsemen, 
whom I have been promised from Xeres, arrived in time, I might 
have served up an entertainment more befitting such a monarch. 
I trust, however, they will arrive in the course of the night, in 
which case his majesty may be sure of a royal regale in the 
dawning." 

Muley Abul Hassan shook his head, when he received the 
reply of De Vargas. u Allah preserve us," said he, " from any 
visitation of these hard riders of Xeres ! a handful of troops, 
acquainted with the wild passes of these mountains, may destroy 
an army encumbered as ours is with booty." 

It was some relief to the king, however, to learn that the 
hardy alcayde of Gibraltar was too severely wounded to take the 
field in person. He immediately beat a retreat, with all speed, 
before the close of day, hurrying with such precipitation, that the 
cavalgada was frequently broken, and scattered among the rugged 
defiles of the mountains ; and above five thousand of the cattle 
turned back, and were regained by the Christians. Muley Abul 
Hassan returned triumphantly with the residue to Malaga, glory- 
ing in the spoils of the duke of Medina Sidonia. 

King Ferdinand was mortified at finding his incursion into 
the vega of Granada counterbalanced by this inroad into his do- 
minions, and saw that there were two sides" to the game of war, as 
to all other games. The only one who reaped real glory, in this 
series of inroads and skirmishings, was Pedro de Vargas, the 
stout alcayde of Gibraltar.* 

* Alonzo de Palencia, 1. 28, c. 3, MS. 



84 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Foray of Spanish cavaliers among the mountains of Malaga. 

The foray of old Muley Abul Hassan had touched the pride of 
the Andalusian chivalry, and they determined on retaliation. 
For this purpose, a number of the most distinguished cavaliers 
assembled at Antiquera, in the month of March, 1483. The lead- 
ers of the enterprise were, the gallant marques of Cadiz ; Don 
Pedro Henriquez, adelantado of Andalusia ; Don Juan de Silva, 
count of Cifuentes, and bearer of the royal standard, who com- 
manded in Seville ; Don Alonzo de Cardevas, master of the reli- 
gious and military order of Santiago ; and Don Alonzo de Agui- 
lar. Several other cavaliers of note hastened to take part in the 
enterprise; and in a little while, about twenty-seven hundred 
horse, and several companies of foot, were assembled within the 
old warlike city of Antiquera, comprising the very flower of An- 
dalusian chivalry. 

A council of war was held by the chiefs, to determine in what 
quarter they should strike a blow. The rival Moorish kings 
were waging civil war with each other, in the vicinity of Granada ; 
and the whole country lay open to inroads. Various plans were 
proposed by the different cavaliers. The marques of Cadiz was 
desirous of scaling the walls of Zahara, and regaining possession 
of that important fortress. The master of Santiago, however, 



FORAY OF SPANISH CAVALIERS. 85 



suggested a wider range and a still more important object. He 
had received information from his adalides, who were apostate 
Moors, that an incursion might be safely made into a mountain- 
ous region near Malaga, called the Axarquia. Here were valleys 
of pasture land, well stocked with flocks and herds ; and there 
were numerous villages and hamlets, which would be an easy 
prey. The city of Malaga was too weakly garrisoned, and had 
too few cavalry, to send forth any force in opposition ; nay, he 
added, they might even extend their ravages to its very gates, 
and peradventure carry that wealthy place by sudden assault. 

The adventurous spirits of the cavaliers were inflamed by this 
suggestion ; in their sanguine confidence, they already beheld 
Malaga in their power, and they were eager for the enterprise. 
The marques of Cadiz endeavored to interpose a little cool cau- 
tion. He likewise had apostate adalides, the most intelligent and 
experienced on the borders ; among these, he placed especial reli- 
ance on one named Luis Amar, who knew all the mountains 
and valleys of the country. He had received from him a particu- 
lar account of these mountains of the Axarquia.* Their savage 
and broken nature was a sufficient defence for the fierce people 
who inhabited them, who, manning their rocks, and their tremen- 
dous passes, which were often nothing more than the deep dry 
beds of torrents, might set whole armies at defiance. Even if 
vanquished, they afforded no spoil to the victor. Their houses 
were little better than bare walls, and they would drive off their 
scanty floeks and herds to the fastnesses of the mountains. 

The sober counsel of the marques, however, was overruled. 
The cavaliers, accustomed to mountain warfare, considered them- 

* Pulgar, in his Chronicle, reverses the case, and makes the marques 
of Cadiz recommend the expedition to the Axarquia ; but Fray Antonio 
Agapida is supported in his statement by that most veracious and contem- 
porary Chronicler, Andres Bernaldes, curate of Los Palacios. 



86 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



selves and their horses equal to any wild and rugged expedition, 
and were flushed with the idea of terminating their foray by a 
brilliant assault upon Malaga. 

Leaving all heavy baggage at Antiquera, and all such as had 
horses too weak for this mountain scramble, they set forth, full of 
spirit and confidence. Don Alonzo de Aguilar, and the adelan- 
tado of Andalusia, led the squadron of advance. The count of 
Cifuentes followed, with certain of the chivalry of Seville. Then 
came the battalion of the most valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, 
marques of Cadiz : he was accompanied by several of his brothers 
and nephews, and many cavaliers, who sought distinction under 
his banner ; and this family band attracted universal attention 
and applause, as they paraded in martial state through the streets 
of Antiquera. The rear-guard was led by Don Alonzo Cardenas, 
master of Santiago, and was composed of the knights of his 
order, and the cavaliers of Ecija, with certain men-at-arms of the 
Holy Brotherhood, whom the king had placed under his com- 
mand. The army was attended by a great train of mules, laden 
with provisions for a few days' supply, until they should be able 
to forage among the Moorish villages. Never did a more gallant 
and self-confident little army tread the earth. It was composed of 
men full of health and vigor, to whom war was a pastime and de- 
light. They had spared no expense in their equipments, for 
never was the pomp of war carried to a higher pitch than among 
the proud chivalry of Spain. Cased in armor richly inlaid and 
embossed, decked with rich surcoats and waving plumes, and su- 
perbly mounted on Andalusian steeds, they pranced out of Anti- 
quera with banners flying, and their various devices and armorial 
bearings ostentatiously displayed ; and in the confidence of their 
hopes, promised the inhabitants to enrich them with the spoils of 
Malaga. 

In the rear of this warlike pageant, followed a peaceful band, 




FORAY OF SPANISH CAVALIERS. 87 



intent upon profiting by the anticipated victories. They were 
not the customary wretches that hover about armies to plunder 
and strip the dead, but goodly and substantial traders from Se- 
ville, Cordova, and other cities of traffic. They rode sleek mules, 
and were clad in goodly raiment, with long leather purses at 
their girdles, well filled with pistoles and other golden coin. 
They had heard of the spoils wasted by the soldiery at the 
capture of Alhama, and were provided with moneys to buy up 
the jewels and precious stones, the vessels of gold and silver, and 
the rich silks and cloths, that should form the plunder of Malaga. 
The proud cavaliers eyed these sons of traffic with great disdain, 
but permitted them to follow for the convenience of the troops, 
who might otherwise be overburthened with booty. 

It had been intended to conduct this expedition with great 
celerity and secrecy ; but the noise of their preparations had 
already reached the city of Malaga. The garrison, it is true, 
was weak ; but it possessed a commander who was himself a host. 
This was Muley Abdallah, commonly called El Zagal, or the 
valiant. He was younger brother of Muley Abul Hassan, and 
general of the few forces which remained faithful to the old mon- 
arch. He possessed equal fierceness of spirit with his brother, 
and surpassed him in craft and vigilance. His very name was a 
war-cry among his soldiery, who had the most extravagant opinion 
of his prowess. 

El Zagal suspected that Malaga was the object of this noisy 
expedition. He consulted with old Bexir, a veteran Moor, who 
governed the city. " If this army of marauders should reach 
Malaga," said he, " we should hardly be able to keep them 
without its walls. I will throw myself, with a small force, into 
the mountains ; rouse the peasantry, take possession of the passes, 
and endeavor to give these Spanish cavaliers sufficient entertain- 
ment upon the road." 



88 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



It was on a Wednesday, that the pranking army of high- 
mettled warriors issued forth from the ancient gates of Anti- 
quera. They marched all day and night, making their way, 
secretly as they supposed, through the passes of the mountains. 
As the tract of country they intended to maraud was far in the 
Moorish territories, near the coast of the Mediterranean, they did 
not arrive there until late in the following day. In passing 
through these stern and lofty mountains, their path was often 
along the bottom of a barranco, or deep rocky valley, with a 
scanty stream dashing along it, among the loose rocks and stones, 
which it had broken and rolled down, in the time of its autumnal 
violence. Sometimes their road was a mere rambla, or dry bed of 
a torrent, cut deep into the mountains, and filled with their 
shattered fragments. These barrancos and ramblas were over- 
hung by immense cliffs and precipices ; forming the lurking- 
places of ambuscades, during the wars between the Moors and 
Spaniards, as in after times they have become the favorite haunts 
of robbers to waylay the unfortunate traveller. 

As the sun went down, the cavaliers came to a lofty part of 
the mountains, commanding to the right a distant glimpse of a 
part of the fair vega of Malaga, with the blue Mediterranean be- 
yond ; and they hailed it with exultation, as a glimpse of the 
promised land. As the night closed in, they reached the chain of 
little valleys and hamlets, locked up among these rocky heights, 
and known among the Moors by the name of the Axarquia. 
Here their vaunting hopes were destined to meet with the first 
disappointment. The inhabitants had heard of their approach ; 
they had conveyed away their cattle and effects, and > with their 
wives and children, had taken refuge in the towers and fastnesses 
of the mountains. 

Enraged at their disappointment, the troops set fire to the 
deserted houses, and pressed forward, hoping for better fortune 



REPULSE OF THE CAVALIERS. 89 



as they advanced. Don Alonzo de Aguilar, and the other cava- 
liers in the van-guard, spread out their forces to lay waste the 
country ; capturing a few lingering herds of cattle, with the 
Moorish peasants who were driving them to some place of safety. 

While this marauding party carried fire and sword in the 
advance, and lit up the mountain cliffs with the flames of the 
hamlets, the master of Santiago, who brought up the rear-guard, 
maintained strict order, keeping his knights together in martial 
array, ready for attack or defence, should an enemy appear. The 
men-at-arms of the Holy Brotherhood attempted to roam in quest 
of booty ; but he called them back, and rebuked them severely. 

At length they came to a part of the mountain completely 
broken up by barrancos and ramblas, of vast depth, and shagged 
with rocks and precipices. It was impossible to maintain the 
order of march ; the horses had no room for action, and were 
scarcely manageable, having to scramble from rock to rock, and 
up and down frightful declivities, where there was scarce footing 
for a mountain goat. Passing by a burning village, the light 
of the flames revealed their perplexed situation. The Moors, 
who had taken refuge in a watchtower on an impending height, 
shouted with exultation, when they looked down upon these 
glistening cavaliers struggling and stumbling among the rocks. 
Sallying forth from their tower, they took possession of the cliffs 
which overhung the ravine, and hurled darts and stones upon the 
enemy. It was with the utmost grief of heart that the good 
master of Santiago beheld his brave men falling like helpless 
victims around him, without the means of resistance or revenge. 
The confusion of his followers was increased by the shouts of the 
Moors, multiplied by the echoes of every crag and cliff, as if they 
were surrounded by innumerable foes. Being entirely ignorant 
of the country, in their struggles to extricate themselves they 
plunged into other glens and defiles, where they were still more 



90 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



exposed to danger. In this extremity, the master of Santiago 
dispatched messengers in search of succor. The marques of 
Cadiz, like a loyal companion in arms, hastened to his aid with 
his cavalry ; his approach checked the assaults of the enemy, 
and the master was at length enabled to extricate his troops from 
the defile. 

In the mean time, Don Alonzo de Aguilar and his compan- 
ions, in their eager advance, had likewise got entangled in deep 
glens, and the dry beds of torrents, where they had been severely 
galled by the insulting attacks of a handful of Moorish peasants, 
posted on the impending precipices. The proud spirit of De 
Aguilar was incensed at having the game of war thus turned 
upon him, and his gallant forces domineered over by mountain 
boors, whom he had thought to drive, like their own cattle, to 
Antiquera. Hearing, however, that his friend the marques of 
Cadiz, and the master of Santiago, were engaged with the enemy, 
he disregarded his own danger, and, calling together his troops, 
returned to assist them, or rather to partake their perils. Being 
once more together, the cavaliers held a hasty council, amidst 
the hurling of stones and the whistling of arrows ; and their re- 
solves were quickened by the sight, from time to time, of some 
gallant companion in arms laid low. They determined that there 
was no spoil in this part of the country, to repay for the extra- 
ordinary peril ; and that it was better to abandon the herds they 
had already taken, which only embarrassed their march, and to 
retreat with all speed to less dangerous ground. 

The adalides, or guides, were ordered to lead the way out of 
this place of carnage. These, thinking to conduct them by the 
most secure route, led them by a steep and rocky pass, difficult 
for the foot-soldiers, but almost impracticable to the cavalry. It 
was overhung with precipices, from whence showers of stones 
and arrows were poured upon them, accompanied by savage yells, 






FURTHER SUCCESSES OF THE MOORS. 91 



which appalled the stoutest heart. In some places, they could 
pass but one at a time, and were often transpierced, horse and 
rider, by the Moorish darts, impeding the progress of their com- 
rades by their dying struggles. The surrounding precipices were 
lit up by a thousand alarm-fires ; every crag and cliff had its 
flame, by the light of which they beheld their foes, bounding 
from rock to rock, and looking more like fiends than mortal men. 

Either through terror and confusion, or through real igno- 
rance of the country, their guides, instead of conducting them 
out of the mountains, led them deeper into their fatal recesses. 
The morning dawned upon them in a narrow rambla, its bottom 
formed of broken rocks, where once had raved along the moun- 
tain torrent ; while above, there beetled great arid cliffs, over the 
brows of which they beheld the turbaned heads of their fierce 
and exulting foes. What a different appearance did the unfor- 
tunate cavaliers present, from that of the gallant band that 
marched so vauntingly out of Antiquera ! Covered with dust, 
and blood, and wounds, and haggard with fatigue and horror, 
they looked like victims rather than like warriors. Many of 
their banners were lost, and not a trumpet was heard to rally up 
their sinking spirits. The men turned with imploring eyes to 
their commanders ; while the hearts of the cavaliers were ready 
to burst with rage and grief, at the merciless havoc made among 
their faithful followers. 

All day, they made ineffectual attempts to extricate them- 
selves from the mountains. Columns of smoke rose from the 
heights, where, in the preceding night, had blazed the alarm-fire. 
The mountaineers assembled from every direction ; they swarmed 
at every pass, getting in the advance of the Christians, and garri- 
soning the cliffs like so many towers and battlements. 

Night closed again upon the Christians, when they were shut 
up in a narrow valley traversed by a deep stream, and surrounded 



92 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



by precipices which seemed to reach the skies, and on which blazed 
and flared the alarm -fires. Suddenly a new cry was heard re- 
sounding along the valley : " El Zagal ! El Zagal !" echoed from 
cliff to cliff. " What cry is that ?" said the master of Santiago. 
" It is the war-cry of El Zagal, the Moorish general," said an old 
Castilian soldier : " he must be coming in person, with the troops 
of Malaga." 

The worthy master turned to his knights : " Let us die," said 
he, " making a road with our hearts, since we cannot with our 
swords. Let us scale the mountain, and sell our lives dearly, 
instead of staying here to be tamely butchered." 

So saying, he turned his steed against the mountain, and 
spurred him up its flinty side. Horse and foot followed his ex- 
ample, eager, if they could not escape, to have at least a dying 
blow at the enemy. As they struggled up the height, a tremen- 
dous storm of darts and stones was showered upon them by the 
Moors. Sometimes a fragment of rock came bounding and thun- 
dering down, ploughing its way through the centre of their host. 
The foot-soldiers, faint with weariness and hunger, or crippled by 
wounds,- held by the tails and manes of the horses to aid them in 
their ascent ; while the horses, losing their foothold among the 
loose stones, or receiving some sudden wound, tumbled down the 
steep declivity, steed, rider, and soldier, rolling from crag to crag, 
until they were dashed to pieces in the valley. In this desperate 
struggle, the alferez or standard-bearer of the master, with his 
standard, was lost ; as were many of his relations and his dearest 
friends. At length he succeeded in attaining the crest of the 
mountain ; but it was only to be plunged in new difficulties. A 
wilderness of rocks and rugged dells lay before him, beset by 
cruel foes. Having neither banner nor trumpet by which to rally 
his troops, they wandered apart, each intent upon saving himself 
from the precipices of the mountains, and the darts of the enemy. 



DISPERSION OF THE CAVALIERS. 93 



When the pious master of Santiago beheld the scattered frag- 
ments of his late gallant force, he could not restrain his grief. 
" Oh, God !" exclaimed he, " great is thine anger this day against 
thy servants. Thou hast converted the cowardice of these infidels 
into desperate valor, and hast made peasants and boors victorious 
over armed men of battle." 

He would fain have kept with his foot-soldiers, and, gathering 
them together, have made head against the enemy ; but those around 
him entreated him to think only of his personal safety. To remain 
was to perish, without striking a blow ; to escape was to preserve a 
life that might be devoted to vengeance on the Moors. The mas- 
ter reluctantly yielded to the advice. " Oh Lord of hosts !" ex- 
claimed he again, " from thy wrath do I fly ; not from these In- 
fidels : they are but instruments in thy hands, to chastise us for 
our sins." So saying, he sent the guides in the advance, and put- 
ting spurs to his horse, dashed through a defile of the mountains, 
before the Moors could intercept him. The moment the master 
put his horse to speed, his troops scattered in all directions. 
Some endeavored to follow his traces, but were confounded among 
the intricacies of the mountain. They fled hither and thither, 
many perishing among the precipices, others being slain by the 
Moors, and others taken prisoners. 

The gallant marques of Cadiz, guided by his trusty adalid, 
Luis Amar, had ascended a different part of the mountain. He 
was followed by his friend, Don Alonzo de Aguilar, the adelan- 
tado, and the count of Cifuentes ; but, in the darkness and confu- 
sion, the bands of these commanders became separated from each 
other. When the marques attained the summit, he looked around 
for his companions in arms ; but they were no longer following 
him, and there was no trumpet to summon them. It was a con- 
solation to the marques, however, that his brothers, and several 
of his relations, with a number of his retainers, were still with 



94 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



him : he called his brothers by name, and their replies gave com- 
fort to his heart. 

His guide now led the way into another valley, where he 
would be less exposed to danger : when he had reached the bot- 
tom of it, the marques paused to collect his scattered followers, 
and to give time for his fellow-commanders to rejoin him. Here 
he was suddenly assailed by the troops of El Zagal, aided by the 
mountaineers from the cliffs. The Christians, exhausted and ter- 
rified, lost all presence of mind: most of them fled, and were 
either slain or taken captive. The marques and his valiant bro- 
thers, with a few tried friends, made a stout resistance. His 
horse was killed under him ; his brothers, Don Diego and Don 
Lope, with his two nephews, Don Lorenzo and Don Manuel, were 
one by one swept from his side, either transfixed with darts and 
lances by the soldiers of El Zagal, or crushed by stones from the 
heights. Tbe marques was a veteran warrior, and had been in 
many a bloody battle ; but never before had death fallen so thick 
and close around him. When he saw his remaining brother, Don 
Beltram, struck out of his saddle by a fragment of a rock, and his 
horse running wildly about without his rider, he gave a cry of 
anguish, and stood bewildered and aghast. A few faithful fol- 
lowers surrounded him, and entreated him to fly for his life. He 
would still have remained, to have shared the fortunes of his 
friend, Don Alonzo de Aguilar, and his other companions in 
arms ; but the forpes of El Zagal were between him and them, 
and death was whistling by on every wind. Reluctantly, there- 
fore, he consented to fly. Another horse was brought him : his 
faithful adalid guided him by one of the steepest paths, which 
lasted for four leagues ; the enemy still hanging on his traces, 
and thinning the scanty ranks of his followers. At leng the mar- 
ques reached the extremity of the mountain defiles, and with a 
haggard remnant of his men, escaped by dint of hoof to Antiquera, 



DISASTROUS END OF THE FORAY. 95 



The count of Cifuentes, with a few of his retainers, in attempt- 
ing to follow the marques of Cadiz, wandered into a narrow pass, 
where they were completely surrounded by the band of El Zagal. 
The count, himself, was assailed by six of the enemy, against 
whom he was defending himself with desperation, when their 
leader, struck with the inequality of the fight, ordered the others 
to desist, and continued the combat alone. The count, already 
exhausted, was soon compelled to surrender ; his brother, Don 
Pedro de Silva, and the few of his retainers who survived, were 
likewise taken prisoners. The Moorish cavalier who had mani- 
fested such a chivalrous spirit in encountering the count singly, 
was Eaduan Vanegas, brother of the former vizier of Muley Abul 
Hassan, and one of the leaders of the faction of the sultana 
Zoraya. 

The dawn of day found Don Alonzo de Aguilar, with a hand- 
ful of his followers, still among the mountains. They had at- 
tempted to follow the marques of Cadiz, but had been obliged to 
pause and defend themselves against the thickening forces of the 
enemy. They at length traversed the mountain, and reached the 
same valley where the marques had made his last disastrous stand. 
Wearied and perplexed, they sheltered themselves in a natural 
grotto, under an overhanging rock, which kept off the darts of the 
enemy ; while a bubbling fountain gave them the means of slak- 
ing their raging thirst, and refreshing their exhausted steeds. As 
day broke, the scene of slaughter unfolded its horrors. There 
lay the noble brothers and nephews of the gallant marques, trans- 
fixed with darts, or gashed and bruised with unseemly wounds ; 
while many other gallant cavaliers lay stretched out dead and 
dying around, some of them partly stripped and plundered by the 
Moors. De Aguilar was a pious knight, but his piety was not 
humble and resigned, like that of the worthy master of Santiago. 
He imprecated holy curses upon the Infidels, for having thus laid 



96 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



low the flower of Christian chivalry ; and he vowed in his heart 
bitter vengeance upon the surrounding country. 

By degrees, the little force of De Aguilar was augmented by 
numbers of fugitives, who issued from caves and chasms, where 
they had taken refuge in the night. A little band of mounted 
knights was gradually formed ; and the Moors having abandoned 
the heights to collect the spoils of the slain, this gallant but for- 
lorn squadron was enabled to retreat to Antiquera. 

This disastrous affair lasted from Thursday evening, through- 
out Friday, the twenty-first of March, the festival of St. Bene- 
dict. It is still recorded in Spanish calendars, as the defeat of 
the mountains of Malaga ; and the spot where the greatest 
slaughter took place, is called la Cuesta de la Matanza, or The 
Hill of the Massacre. The principal leaders who survived, re- 
turned to Antiquera. Many of the knights took refuge in Al- 
hama, and other towns : many wandered about the mountains for 
eight days, living on roots and herbs, hiding themselves during 
the day, and sallying forth at night. So enfeebled and disheart- 
ened were they, that they offered no resistance if attacked. Three 
or four soldiers would surrender to a Moorish peasant ; and even 
the women of Malaga sallied forth and made prisoners. Some 
were thrown into the dungeons of frontier towns, others led cap- 
tive to G-ranada ; but by far the greater number were conducted 
to Malaga, the city they had threatened to attack. Two hundred 
and fifty principal cavaliers, alcaydes, commanders, and hidalgos, 
of generous blood, were confined in the Alcazaba, or citadel of 
Malaga, to await their ransom ; and five hundred and seventy of 
the common soldiery were crowded in an inclosure or court-yard 
of the Alcazaba, to be sold as slaves.* 

Great spoils were collected of splendid armor and weapons 

* Cura de los Palacios. 



TRIUMPH OF THE MOORS. 97 



taken from the slain, or thrown away by the cavaliers in their 
flight ; and many horses, magnificently caparisoned, together with 
numerous standards— all which were paraded in triumph in the 
Moorish towns. 

The merchants also, who had come with the army, intending 
to traffic in the spoils of the Moors, were themselves made objects 
of traffic. Several of them were driven like cattle, before the 
Moorish viragos, to the market of Malaga : and in spite of all 
their adroitness in trade, and their attempts to buy themselves off 
at a cheap ransom, they were unable to purchase their freedom 
without such draughts upon their money-bags at home, as drained 
them to the very bottom. 



98 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Effects of the disasters among the mountains of Malaga. 

The people of Antiquera had scarcely recovered from the tumult 
of excitement and admiration, caused by the departure of the 
gallant band of cavaliers upon their foray, when they beheld the 
scattered wrecks flying for refuge to their walls. Day after day, 
and hour after hour, brought some wretched fugitive, in whose 
battered plight, and haggard, wobegone demeanor, it was almost 
impossible to recognize the warrior who had lately issued so gayly 
and gloriously from their gates. 

The arrival of the marques of Cadiz, almost alone, covered 
with dust and blood, his armor shattered and defaced, his counte- 
nance the picture of despair, filled every heart with sorrow, for 
he was greatly beloved by the people. The multitude asked of 
his companions, where was the band of brothers which had rallied 
round him as he went forth to the field ; and when told that one 
by one they had been slaughtered at his side, they hushed their 
voices, or spake to each other only in whispers as he passed, 
gazing at him in silent sympathy. No one attempted to console 
him in so great an affliction, nor did the good marques speak ever 
a word, but, shutting himself up, brooded in lonely anguish over 
his misfortune. It was only the arrival of Don Alonzo de 
Aguilar that gave him a gleam of consolation, rejoicing to find 



.. i% 






EFFECTS OF THE DISASTERS. 99 



that amidst the shafts of death which had fallen so thickly among 
his family, his chosen friend and brother in arms had escaped 
uninjured. 

For several days every eye was turned, in fearful suspense, 
toward the Moorish border, anxiously looking, in every fugitive 
from the mountains, for the lineaments of some friend or relative, 
whose fate was yet a mystery. At length every hope and doubt 
subsided into certainty ; the whole extent of this great calamity 
was known, spreading grief and consternation throughout the 
land, and laying. desolate the pride and hopes of palaces. It was 
a sorrow that visited the marble hall and silken pillow. Stately 
dames mourned over the loss of their sons, the joy and glory of 
their age ; and many a fair cheek was blanched with woe, which 
had lately mantled with secret admiration. tt All Andalusia," 
says a historian of the time, u was overwhelmed by a great afflic- 
tion ; there was no drying of the eyes which wept in her."* 

Fear and trembling reigned, for a time, along the frontier. 
Their spear seemed broken, their buckler cleft in twain : every 
border town dreaded an attack, and the mother caught her infant 
to her bosom when the watch-dog howled in the night, fancying it 
the war-cry of the Moor. All, for a time, seemed lost ; and de- 
spondency even found its way to the royal breasts of Ferdinand 
and Isabella, amidst the splendors of their court. 

Great, on the other hand, was the joy of the Moors, when they 
saw whole legions of Christian warriors brought captive into their 
towns, by rude mountain peasantry. They thought it the work 
of Allah in favor of the faithful. But when they recognized, 
among the captives thus dejected and broken down, some of the 
proudest of Christian chivalry ; when they saw several of the 
banners and devices of the noblest houses of Spain, which they 



* Cura de los Palacios. 



Lofa 



100 . CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



had been accustomed to behold in the foremost of the battle, 
now trailed ignominiously through their streets ; when, in short, 
they witnessed the arrival of the count of Cifuentes, the royal 
standard-bearer of Spain, with his gallant brother Don Pedro de 
Silva, brought prisoners into the gates of Granada, there were no 
bounds to their exultation. They thought that the days of their 
ancient glory were about to return, and that they were to renew 
their career of triumph over the unbelievers. 

The Christian historians of the time are sorely perplexed to 
account for this misfortune ; and why so many Christian knights, 
fighting in the cause of the holy faith, should thus miraculously, 
as it were, be given captive to a handful of Infidel boors ; for we 
are assured, that all this rout and destruction was effected by five 
hundred foot and fifty horse, and those mere mountaineers, with- 
out science or discipline.* " It was intended," observes one his- 
toriographer, " as a lesson to their confidence and vainglory ; 
overratiug their own prowess and thinking that so chosen a band 
of chivalry had but to appear in the land of the enemy, and con- 
quer. It was to teach them that the race is not to the swift, nor 
the battle to the strong, but that God alone giveth the victory." 

The worthy father Fray Antonio Agapida, however, asserts it 
to be a punishment for the avarice of the Spanish warriors. 
They did not enter the kingdom of the Infidels with the pure 
spirit of Christian knights, zealous only for the glory of the faith, 
but rather as greedy men of traffic, to enrich themselves by vend- 
ing the spoils of the Infidels. Instead of preparing themselves 
by confession and communion, and executing their testaments, 
and making donations and bequests to churches and convents, 
they thought only of arranging bargains and sales of their antici- 
pated booty. Instead of taking with them holy monks to aid 

* Cura de los Palacios. 



WHY THE CHRISTIANS WERE DEFEATED. 101 



them with their prayers, they were followed by a train of trading 
men, to keep alive their worldly and sordid ideas, and to turn 
what ought to be holy triumphs into scenes of brawling traffic. 
Such is the opinion of the excellent Agapida, in which he is 
joined by that most worthy and upright of chroniclers, the curate 
of Los Palacios. Agapida comforts himself, however, with the re- 
flection, that this visitation was meant in mercy, to try the Cas- 
tilian heart, and to extract, from its present humiliation, the 
elements of future success, as gold is extracted from amidst the 
impurities of earth ; and in this reflection he is supported by the 
venerable historian Pedro Abarca, of the society of Jesuits.* 

* Abarca. Anales de Aragon, Rey 30. cap. 2. § 7. 



102 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CIIAFTER XIV. 

How King Boabdil el Chico marched over the border. 

The defeat of the Christian cavaliers among the mountains of 
Malaga, and the successful inroad of Muley Abul Hassan into 
the lands of Medina Sidonia, had produced a favorable effect on 
the fortunes of the old monarch. The inconstant populace began 
to shout forth his name in the streets, and to sneer at the inac- 
tivity of his son Boabdil el Chico. The latter, though in the 
flower of his age, and distinguished for vigor and dexterity in 
jousts and tournaments, had never yet fleshed his weapon in the 
field of battle ; and it was murmured that he preferred the silken 
repose of the cool halls of the Alhambra, to the fatigue and 
danger of the foray, and the hard encampments of the mountains. 

The popularity of these rival kings depended upon their suc- 
cess against the Christians, and Boabdil el Chico found it necessary 
to strike some signal blow to counterbalance the late triumph of 
his father. He was further incited by his father-in-law, Ali Atar, 
alcayde of Loxa, with whom the "coals of wrath against the Chris- 
tians still burned among the ashes of age, and had lately been 
blown into a flame by the attack made by Ferdinand on the city 
under his command. 

Ali Atar informed Boabdil that the late discomfiture of the 
Christian knights had stripped Andalusia of the prime of her 
chivalry, and broken the spirit of the country. All the frontier 



MARCH OF BOABDIL. 103 



of Cordova and Ecija now lay open to inroad ; but he especially 
pointed out the city of Lucena as an object of attack, being feebly 
garrisoned, and lying in a country rich in pasturage, abounding 
in cattle and grain, in oil and wine. The fiery old Moor spoke 
from thorough information ; for he had made many an incursion 
into these parts, and his very name was a terror throughout the 
country. It had become a by-word in the garrison of Loxa to 
call Lucena the garden of Ali Atar, for he was accustomed to 
forage its fertile territories for all his supplies. 

Boabdil el Chico listened to the persuasions of this veteran of 
the borders. lie assembled a force of nine thousand foot and 
seven hundred horse, most of them his own adherents, but many 
the partisans of his father; for both factions, however they might 
fight among themselves, were ready to unite in any expedition 
against the Christians. Many of the most illustrious and valiant 
of the Moorish nobility assembled round his standard, magnifi- 
cently arrayed in sumptuous armor and rich embroidery, as 
though for a festival or a tilt of canes, rather than an enterprise 
of iron war. Boabdil's mother, the sultana Ayxa la Horra, 
armed him for the field, and gave him her benediction as she 
girded his scimetar to his side. His favorite wife Morayma wept, 
as she thought of the evils that might befall him. " Why dost 
thou weep, daughter of Ali Atar ?" said the high-minded Ayxa : 
" these tears become not the daughter of a warrior, nor the wife of 
a king. Believe me, there lurks more danger for a monarch 
within the strong walls of a palace, than within the frail cur- 
tains of a tent. It is by perils in the field, that thy husband 
must purchase security on his throne." 

But Morayma still hung upon his neck, with tears and sad 
forebodings ; and when he departed from the Alhambra, she be- 
took herself to her mirador, overlooking the vega, whence she 
watched the army, as it went, in shining order, along the road 



104 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



leading to Loxa ; and every burst of warlike melody that came 
swelling on the breeze, was answered by a gush of sorrow. 

As the royal cavalcade issued from the palace and descended 
through the streets of Granada, the populace greeted their youth- 
ful sovereign with shouts, anticipating deeds of prowess that would 
wither the laurels of his father. The appearance of Boabdil was well 
calculated to captivate the public eye, if we may judge from the 
description given by the abbot of Bute, in his manuscript history 
of the House of Cordoba. He was mounted on a superb white 
charger, magnificently caparisoned. His corselets were of polished 
steel, richly ornamented ; studded with gold nails, and lined with 
crimson velvet. He wore a steel casque, exquisitely chiselled 
and embossed ; his scimetar and dagger of Damascus were of 
highest temper ; he had a round buckler at his shoulder, and bore 
a ponderous lance. In passing through the gate of Elvira, how- 
ever, he accidentally broke his lance against the arch. At this, 
certain of his nobles turned pale, and entreated him to turn back, 
for they regarded it as an evil omen. Boabdil scoffed at their 
fears as idle fancies. He refused to take another spear, but drew 
forth his scimetar, and led the way (adds Agapida) in an arrogant 
and haughty style, as though he would set both heaven and earth 
at defiance. Another evil omen was sent, to deter him from his 
enterprise : arriving at the rambla, or dry ravine of Beyro, which 
is scarcely a bow-shot from the city, a fox ran through the whole 
army, and close by the person of the king ; and, though a thou- 
sand bolts were discharged at it, escaped uninjured to the moun- 
tains. The principal courtiers now reiterated their remonstrances 
against proceeding ; the king, however, was not to be dismayed 
by these portents, but continued to march forward.* 

At Loxa, the army was reinforced by old Ali Atar, with the 

* Marmol. Rebel, de los Moros, lib. 1, c. xii., fol. 14. 



1 



BOABDIL MARCHES TO LUCENA. 105 



chosen horsemen of his garrison, and many of the bravest warriors 
of the border towns. The people of Loxa shouted with exulta- 
tion, when they beheld Ali Atar, armed at all points, and mount- 
ed on his Barbary steed, which had often borne him over the bor- 
ders. The veteran warrior, with nearly a century of years upon 
his head, had all the fire and animation of youth, at the prospect 
of a foray, and careered from rank to rank with the velocity of an 
Arab of the desert. The populace watched the army, as it para- 
ded over the bridge, and wound into the passes of the mountains ; 
and still their eyes were fixed upon the pennon of Ali Atar, as if 
it bore with it an assurance of victory. 

The Moorish army entered the Christian frontier by forced 
marches, hastily ravaging the country, driving off the flocks and 
herds, and making captives of the inhabitants. They pressed on 
furiously, and made the latter part of their march in the night, to 
elude observation, and come upon Lucena by surprise. Boabdil 
was inexperienced in warfare, but had a veteran counsellor in his 
old father-in-law ; for Ali Atar knew every secret of the country, 
and, as he prowled through it, his eye ranged over the land, unit- 
ing, in its glare, the craft of the fox with the sanguinary ferocity 
of the wolf. He had flattered himself that their march had been 
so rapid as to outstrip intelligence, and that Lucena would be an 
easy capture ; when suddenly he beheld alarm fires blazing upon 
the mountains. " We are discovered," said he to Boabdil ; " the 
country will be up in arms ; we have nothing left but to strike 
boldly for Lucena ; it is but slightly garrisoned, and we rnaj^ 
carry it by assault before it can receive assistance." The king 
approved of his counsel, and they marched rapidly for the gate of 
Lucena. 



106 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XV. 

How the Count de Cabra sallied forth from his castle, in quest of King 

Boabdil. 

Don Diego de Cordova, count of Cabra, was in the castle of 
Vaena, which, with the town of the same name, is situated on a 
lofty sun-burnt hill on the frontier of the kingdom of Cordova, 
and but a few leagues from Lucena. The range of mountains of 
Horquera lie between them. The castle of Vaena was strong, 
and well furnished with arms, and the count had a numerous 
band of vassals and retainers ; for it behooved the noblemen of the 
frontiers, in those times, to be well prepared with man and horse, 
with lance and buckler, to resist the sudden incursions of the 
Moors. The count of Cabra was a hardy and experienced war- 
rior, shrewd in council, prompt in action, rapid and fearless in 
the field. He was one of the bravest of cavaliers for an inroad, 
and had been quickened and sharpened, in thought and action, by 
living on the borders. 

On the night of the 20th of April, 1483, the count was about 
to retire to rest, when the watchman from the turret brought him 
word that there were alarm-fires on the mountains of Horquera, 
and that they were made on the signal-tower overhanging the de- 
file through which the road passes to Cabra and Lucena. 

The count ascended the battlement, and beheld five lights 
blazing on the tower, — a sign that there was a Moorish army at- 



DE CABRA PURSUES BOABDIL. 107 



tacking some place on the frontier. The count instantly ordered 
the alarm-bells to be sounded, and dispatched couriers to rouse 
the commanders of the neighboring towns. He called upon his 
retainers to prepare for action, and sent a trumpet through the 
town, summoning the men to assemble at the castle-gate at day- 
break, armed and equipped for the field. 

Throughout the remainder of the night, the castle resounded 
with the din of preparation. Every house in the town was in 
equal bustle ; for in these frontier towns, every house had its 
warrior, and the lance and buckler was ever hanging against the 
wall, ready to be snatched down for instant service. Nothing 
was heard but the din of armorers, the shoeing of studs, and fur- 
bishing up of weapons ; and, all night long, the alarm-fires kept 
blazing on the mountains. 

When the morning dawned, the count of Cabra sallied forth, 
at the head of two hundred and fifty cavaliers, of the best families 
of Vaena, all well appointed, exercised in arms, and experienced 
in the warfare of the borders. There were, besides, twelve 
hundred foot soldiers, brave and well seasoned men of the same 
town. The count ordered them to hasten forward, whoever could 
make most speed, taking the road to Cabra, which was three 
leagues distant. That they might not loiter on the road, he 
allowed none of them to break their fast until they arrived at 
that place. The provident count dispatched couriers in advance, 
and the little army, on reaching Cabra, found tables spread with 
food and refreshments, at the gates of the town. Here they were 
joined by Don Alonzo de Cordova, senior of Zuheros. 

Having made a hearty repast, they were on the point of re- 
suming their march, when the count discovered that, in the hurry 
of his departure from home, he had forgotten to bring the stand- 
ard of Vaena, which for upwards of eighty years had always been 
borne to battle by his family. It was now noon, and there was 



108 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



not time to return : he took, therefore, the standard of Cabra, the 
device of which is a goat, and which had not been seen in the 
wars for the last half century. When about to depart, a courier 
came galloping at full speed, bringing missives to the count from 
his nephew, Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova, senior of Lucena 
and alcayde de los Donzeles,* entreating him to hasten to his 
aid, as his town was beset by the Moorish king, Boabdil el Chico, 
with a powerful army, who were actually setting fire to the 
gates. 

The count put his little army instantly in movement for Lu- 
cena, which is only one league from Cabra : he was fired with the 
idea of having the Moorish king in person to contend with. By 
the time he reached Lucena, the Moors had desisted from the 
attack, and were ravaging the surrounding country. He entered 
the town with a few of his cavaliers, and was received with joy 
by his nephew, whose whole force consisted but of eighty horse 
and three hundred foot. Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova was 
a young man, yet he was a prudent, careful, and capable officer. 
Having learnt, the evening before, that the Moors had passed the 
frontiers, he had gathered within his walls all the women and 
children from the environs ; had armed the men, sent couriers 
in all directions for succor, and had lighted alarm-fires on the 
mountains. 

Boabdil had arrived with his army at daybreak, and had sent 
in a message threatening to put the garrison to the sword, if the 
place were not instantly surrendered. The messenger was a 
Moor of Granada, named Hamet, whom Don Diego had formerly 
known : he contrived to amuse him with negotiation, to gain time 
for succor to arrive. The fierce old Ali Atar, losing all patience, 



* The Donzeles were young cavaliers who had been pages in the royal 
household, but now formed an elite corps in the army. 



DE CABRA PURSUES BOABDIL. 109 



had made an assault upon the town, and stormed like a fury at 
the gate ; but had been repulsed. Another and more serious 
attack was expected, in the course of the night. 

When the count de Cabra had heard this account of the situ- 
ation of affairs, he turned to his nephew with his usual alacrity 
of manner, and proposed that they should immediately sally forth 
in quest of the enemy. The prudent Don Diego remonstrated 
at the rashness of attacking so great a force with a mere handful 
of men. " Nephew," said the count, " I came from Vaena with 
a determination to fight this Moorish king, and I will not be dis- 
appointed." 

" At any rate," replied Don Diego, " let us wait but two hours, 
and we shall have reinforcements which have been promised me 
from Rambla, Santaella, Montilla, and other places in the neigh- 
borhood." " If we await these," said the hardy count, " the 
Moors will be off, and all our trouble will have been in vain. 
You may await them, if you please ; I am resolved on fighting." 

The count paused for no reply ; but, in his prompt and rapid 
manner, sallied forth to his men. The young alcayde de los Don- 
zeles, though more prudent than his ardent uncle, was equally 
brave ; he determined to stand by him in his rash enterprise, and, 
summoning his little force, marched forth to join the count, who 
was already on the move. They then proceeded together in quest 
of the enemy. 

The Moorish army had ceased ravaging the country, and were 
not to be seen, — the neighborhood being hilly, and broken with 
deep ravines. The count dispatched six scouts on horseback to 
reconnoitre, ordering them to return with all speed on discovering 
the enemy, and by no means to engage in skirmishing with 
stragglers. The scouts, ascending a high hill, beheld the Moorish 
army in a valley behind it, the cavalry ranged in five battalions 
keeping guard, while the foot soldiers were seated on the grass 



110 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



making a repast. They returned immediately with the intel- 
ligence. 

The count now ordered the troops to march in the direction 
of the enemy. He and his nephew ascended the hill, and saw 
that the five battalions of Moorish cavalry had been formed into 
two, one of about nine hundred lances, the other of about six 
hundred. The whole force seemed prepared to march for the 
frontier. The foot soldiers were already under way, with many 
prisoners, and a great train of mules and beasts of burden, laden 
with booty. At a distance was Boabdil el Chico : they could not 
distinguish his person, but they knew him by his superb black 
and white charger, magnificently caparisoned, and by his being 
surrounded by a numerous guard, sumptuously armed and attired. 
Old Ali Atar was careering about the valley with his usual 
impatience, hurrying the march of the loitering troops. 

The eyes of the count de Cabra glistened with eager joy, as 
he beheld the royal prize within his reach. The immense dis- 
parity of their forces never entered into his mind. " By Santi- 
ago !" said he to his nephew, as they hastened down the hill, 
" had we waited for more forces, the Moorish king and his army 
would have escaped us !" 

The count now harangued his men, to inspirit them to this 
hazardous encounter. He told them not to be dismayed at the 
number of the Moors, for God often permitted the few to conquer 
the many ; and he had great confidence, that, through the divine 
aid, they were that day to achieve a signal victory, which should 
win them both riches and renown. He commanded that no man 
should hurl his lance at the enemy, but should keep it in his 
hands, and strike as many blows with it as he could. He warned 
them, also, never to shout except when the Moors did ; for when 
both armies shouted together, there was no perceiving which 
made the most noise and was the strongest. He desired his un- 



ARRANGEMENTS OF THE COUNT DE CABRA. Ill 



cle Lope de Mendoza, and Diego de Cabrera, alcayde of Dona 
Mencia, to alight and enter on foot in the battalion of infantry, to 
animate them to the combat. He appointed also the alcayde of 
Vaena and Diego de Clavijo, a cavalier of his household, to re 
main in the rear, and not to permit any one to lag behind, either 
to despoil the dead, or for any other purpose. 

Such were the orders given by this most adroit, active, and 
intrepid cavalier, to his little army, supplying, by admirable sa- 
gacity and subtle management, the want of a more numerous 
force. His orders being given, and all arrangements made, he 
threw aside his lance, drew his sword, and commanded his stand- 
ard to be advanced against the enemy. 



112 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



The Battle of Lucena. 



The Moorish king had descried the Spanish forces at a distance, 
although a slight fog prevented his seeing them distinctly, and 
ascertaining their numbers. His old father-in-law, Ali Atar, was 
by his side, who, being a veteran marauder, was well acquainted 
with all the standards and armorial bearings of the frontiers. 
When the king beheld the ancient and long-disused banner of 
Cabra emerging from the mist, he turned to Ali Atar, and de- 
manded whose ensign it was. The old borderer was for once at 
a loss, for the banner had not been displayed in battle in his time. 
" In truth," replied he, after a pause, " I have been considering 
that standard for some time, but I confess, I do not know it. It 
cannot be the ensign of any single commander or community, for 
none would venture single-handed to attack you. It appears to 
be a dog, which device is borne by the towns of Baeza and Ubeda. 
If it be so, all Andalusia is in movement against you, and I would 
advise you to retire." 

The count de Cabra, in winding down the hill towards the 
Moors, found himself on much lower ground than the enemy : he 
ordered in all haste that his standard should be taken back, so as 
to gain the vantage ground. The Moors, mistaking this for a re- 
treat, rushed impetuously towards the Christians. The latter, 



THE MOORS DISCOMFITED. 113 



having gained the height proposed, charged upon them at the same 
moment, with the battle-cry of " Santiago !" and dealing the first 
blows, laid many of the Moorish cavaliers in the dust. 

The Moors, thus checked in their tumultuous assault, were 
thrown into confusion, and began to give way, the Christians fol- 
lowing hard upon them. Boabdil el Chico endeavored to rally 
them. " Hold ! hold ! for shame !" cried he ; " let us not fly, at 
least until we know our enemy." The Moorish chivalry were 
stung by this reproof, and turned to make front, with the valor of 
men who feel that they are fighting under their monarch's eye. 

At this moment, Lorenzo de Porres, alcayde of Luque, ar- 
rived with fifty horse and one hundred foot, sounding an Italian 
trumpet from among a copse of oak trees, which concealed his 
force. The quick ear of old Ali Atar caught the note. " That 
is an Italian trumpet," said he to the king ; " the whole world 
seems in arms against your highness !" 

The trumpet of Lorenzo de Porres was answered by that of 
the count de Cabra, in another direction, and it seemed to the 
Moors as if they were between two armies. Don Lorenzo, sally- 
ing from among the oaks, now charged upon the enemy : the lat- 
ter did not wait to ascertain the force of this new foe ; the confu- 
sion, the variety of alarums, the attacks from opposite quarters, 
the obscurity of the fog, all conspired to deceive them as to the 
number of their adversaries. Broken and dismayed, they re- 
treated fighting ; and nothing but the presence and remonstrances 
of the king prevented their retreat from becoming a headlong 
flight. If Boabdil had displayed little of the talents of a gen- 
eral in the outset of his enterprise, he manifested courage and 
presence of mind amid the disasters of its close. Seconded by a 
small body of cavalry, the choicest and most loyal of his guards, 
he made repeated stand against the press of the foe, in a skir- 
mishing retreat of about three leagues ; and the way was strown 



114 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



with the flower of his chivalry. At length, they came to the 
brook of Martin Gonzales, or Mingozales, as it is called by the 
Moorish chroniclers ; which swollen by recent rain was now a 
deep and turbid torrent. Here a scene of confusion ensued. 
Horse and foot precipitated themselves into the stream. Some 
of the horses stuck fast in the mire and blocked up the ford ; 
others trampled down the foot soldiers ; many were drowned and 
more carried down the stream. Such of the foot-soldiers as 
gained the opposite side, immediately took to flight ; the horse- 
men, too, who had struggled through the stream, gave reins to 
their steeds and scoured for the frontier. 

The little band of devoted cavaliers about the king serried 
their forces, to keep the enemy in check, fighting with them hand 
to hand, until he should have time to cross. In the tumult, his 
horse was shot down, and he became environed in the throng of 
foot-soldiers, struggling forward to the ford, and in peril from 
the lances of their pursuers. Conscious that his rich array made 
him a conspicuous object, he retreated along the bank of the river, 
and endeavored to conceal himself in a thicket of willows and ta- 
marisks. Thence, looking back, he beheld his loyal band at 
length give way, supposing, no doubt, he had effected his escape. 
They crossed the ford, followed pell-mell by the enemy, and seve- 
ral of them were struck down in the stream. 

While Boabdil was meditating to throw himself into the water, 
and endeavor to swim across, he was discovered by Martin Hur- 
tado, regidor of Lucena, a brave cavalier, who had been captive 
in the prisons of Granada, and exchanged for a Christian knight. 
Hurtado attacked the king with a pike, but was kept at bay ; un- 
til seeing other soldiers approaching, Boabdil cried for quarters ; 
proclaiming himself a person of high rank, who would pay a no- 
ble ransom. At this moment came up several men of Yaena, of 
the troop of the count de Cabra. Hearing the talk of ransom, 






CAPTURE OF BOABDIL. 115 



and noticing the splendid attire of the Moor, they endeavored to 
secure for themselves so rich a prize. One of them seized hold 
of Boabdil, but the latter resented the indignity, by striking him 
to the earth with a blow of his poniard. Others of Hurtado's 
townsmen coming up, a contest arose between the men of Lucena 
and Vaena, as to who had a right to the prisoner. The noise 
brought Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova to the spot, who, by 
his authority, put an end to the altercation. Boabdil, finding 
himself unknown by all present, concealed his quality, giving him- 
self out as the son of Aben Alnayer, a cavalier of the royal house- 
hold. # Don Diego treated him with great courtesy ; put a red 
band round his neck in sign of his being a captive, and sent him 
under an escort to the castle of Lucena, where his quality would 
be ascertained, his ransom arranged, and the question settled as 
to who had made him prisoner. 

This done, the count put spurs to his horse, and hastened to 
rejoin the count de Cabra, who was in hot pursuit of the enemy. 
He overtook him at a stream called Beanaul ; and they continued 
together to press on the skirts of the flying army during the re- 
mainder of the day. The pursuit was almost as hazardous as the 
battle ; for, had the enemy at any time recovered from their 
panic, they might, by a sudden reaction, have overwhelmed the 
small force of their pursuers. To guard against this peril, the 
wary count kept his battalion always in close order, and had a 
body of a hundred chosen lancers in the advance. The Moors 
kept up a Parthian retreat ; several times, they turned to make 
battle ; but, seeing this solid body of steeled warriors pressing 
upon them, they again took to flight. 

The main retreat of the army was along the valley watered by 
the Xenel, and opening through the mountains of Algaringo to 

* Garibay, Lib. 40, cap. 31. 



116 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the city of Loxa. The alarm-fires of the preceding night had 
aroused the country ; every man snatched sword and buckler 
from the wall, and the towns and villages poured forth their war- 
riors to harass the retreating foe. Ali Atar kept the main force 
of the army together, and turned fiercely from time to time upon 
his pursuers ; he was like a wolf, hunted through the country he 
had often made desolate by his maraudings. 

The alarm of this invasion had reached the city of Antiquera, 
where were several of the cavaliers who had escaped from the 
carnage in the mountains of Malaga. Their proud minds were 
festering with their late disgrace, and their only prayer was for 
vengeance on the Infidels. No sooner did they hear of the Moor 
being over the border, than they were armed and mounted for 
action. Don Alonzo de Aguilar led them forth ; — a small body 
of but forty horsemen, but all cavaliers of prowess, and thirsting 
for revenge. They came upon the foe on the banks of the Xenel, 
where it winds through the valleys of Cordova. The river, 
swelled by the late rains, was deep and turbulent, and only ford- 
able at certain places. The main body of the army was gathered 
in confusion on the banks, endeavoring to ford the stream, protect- 
ed by the cavalry of Ali Atar. 

No sooner did the little band of Alonzo de Aguilar come in 
sight of the Moors ; than fury flashed from their eyes. " Remem- 
ber the mountains of Malaga !" cried they to each other, as they 
rushed to combat. Their charge was desperate, but was gallantly 
resisted. A scrambling and bloody fight ensued, hand to hand 
and sword to sword, sometimes on land, sometimes in the water. 
Many were lanced on the banks ; others, throwing themselves into 
the river, sank with the weight of their armor, and were drowned ; 
some, grappling together, fell from their horses, but continued 
their struggle in the waves, and helm and turban rolled together 
down the stream. The Moors were far greater in number, and 






DEATH OF ALI ATAR. 117 



among them were many warriors of rank ; but they were dis- 
heartened by defeat, while the Christians were excited even to 
desperation. 

Ali Atar alone preserved all his fire and energy, amid his re- 
verses. He had been enraged at the defeat of the army, and the 
ignominious flight he had been obliged to make through a coun- 
try which had so often been the scene of his exploits : .but to be 
thus impeded in his flight, and harassed and insulted by a mere 
handful of warriors, roused the violent passions of the old Moor 
to perfect frenzy. He had marked Don Alonzo de Aguilar deal- 
ing his blows (says Agapida), with the pious vehemence of a right- 
eous knight, who knows that in every wound inflicted upon the 
Infidels, he is doing G-od service. Ali Atar spurred his steed 
along the bank of the river, to come upon Don Alonzo by sur- 
prise. The back of the warrior was towards him ; and, collecting 
all his force, the Moor hurled his lance to transfix him on the 
spot. The lance was not thrown with the usual accuracy of Ali 
Atar : it tore away a part of the cuirass of Don Alonzo, but failed 
to inflict a wound. The Moor rushed upon Don Alonzo with his 
scimetar ; but the latter was on the alert, and parried his blow. 
They fought desperately upon the borders of the river, alternate- 
ly pressing each other into the stream, and fighting their way 
again up the bank. Ali Atar was repeatedly wounded ; and 
Don Alonzo, having pity on his age, would have spared his life : 
he called upon him to surrender. " Never," cried Ali Atar, " to 
a Christian dog !" The words were scarce out of his mouth, when 
the sword of Don Alonzo clove his turbaned head, and sank deep 
into the brain. He fell dead, without a groan ; his body rolled 
into the Xenel, nor was it ever found nor recognized.* Thus fell 
Ali Atar, who had long been the terror of Andalusia. As he had 

* Cura de los Palacios. 



118 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



hated and warred upon the Christians all his life, so he died in 
the very act of bitter hostility. 

The fall of Ali Atar put an end to the transient stand of the 
cavalry. Horse and foot mingled together, in the desperate 
struggle across the Xenel ; and many were trampled down and 
perished beneath the waves. Don Alonzo and his band continued 
to harass them until they crossed the frontier ; and every 
blow, struck home to the Moors, seemed to lighten the load of 
humiliation and sorrow which had weighed heavy on their 
hearts. 

In this disastrous rout, the Moors lost upwards of five thou- 
sand killed and made prisoners ; many of whom were of the most 
noble lineages of Granada : numbers fled to rocks and mountains, 
where they were subsequently taken. 

Boabdil remained a prisoner in the state tower of the citadel 
of Lucena, under the vigilance of Alonzo de Rueda, esquire of the 
alcayde of the Donzeles ; his quality was still unknown, until the 
24th of April, three days after the battle. On that day some 
prisoners, natives of Granada, just brought in, caught a sight of 
the unfortunate Boabdil, despoiled of his royal robes. Throwing 
themselves at his feet, they broke forth in loud lamentations ; 
apostrophizing him as their lord and king. 

Great was the astonishment and triumph of the count de 
Cabra and Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova on learning the 
rank of the supposed cavalier. They both ascended to the castle 
to see that he was lodged in a style befitting his quality. When 
the good count beheld, in the dejected captive before him, the 
monarch who had so recently appeared in royal splendor, sur- 
rounded by an army, his generous heart was touched by sym- 
pathy. He said every thing to comfort him that became a cour- 
teous and Christian knight, observing that the same mutability 
of things which had suddenly brought him low, might as rapidly 









TROPHIES OF VICTORY. 119 



restore him to prosperity, since in this world nothing is stable, 
and sorrow, like joy, has its allotted term. 

The action here recorded was called by some the battle of 
Lucena, by others the battle of the Moorish king, because of the 
capture of Boabdil. Twenty-two banners, taken on the occasion, 
were borne in triumph into Vaena on the 23d of April, St. 
George's day, and hung up in the church. There they remain 
(says a historian of after times) to this day. Once a year, on the 
festival of St. George, they are borne about in procession by the 
inhabitants, who, at the same time, give thanks to God for this 
signal victory granted to their forefathers.* 



* Several circumstances relative to the capture of Boabdil vary in this 
from the first edition, in consequence of later light thrown on the subject 
by Don Miguel Lafuente Alcantara in his history of Granada. He has 
availed himself much of various ancient documents relative to the battle, 
especially the History of the House of Cordova, by the Abbot of Rute, 
a descendant of that family ; a rare manuscript, of which few copies exist. 

The question as to the person entitled to the honor and reward for 
having captured the king, long continued a matter of dispute between the 
people of Lucena and Vaena. On the 20th of October, 1520, about thirty- 
seven years after the event, an examination of several witnesses to the fact 
took place before the Chief Justice of the fortress of Lucena, at the in- 
stance of Bartolomy Hurtado, the son of Martin, when the claim of his 
father was established by Dona Leonora Hernandez, lady in attendant on 
the mother of the alcayde of los Donzeles, who testified being present 
when Boabdil signalized Martin Hurtado as his captor. 

The chief honor of the day, and of course of the defeat and capture of 
the Moorish Monarch, was given by the sovereign to the count de Cabra ; 
the second to his nephew, Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova. 

Among the curious papers cited by Alcantara, is one existing in the 
archives of the House of Medina Celi, giving the account of the treas- 
urer of Don Diego Fernandez, as to the sums expended by his lord in the 
capture of the king ; the reward given to some soldiers for a standard of 



120 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the king's which they had taken ; to others for the wounds they had re- 
ceived, &c. 

Another paper speaks of an auction at Lucena on the 28th of April, of 
horses and mules taken in the battle. Another paper states the gratuities 
of the alcayde of los Donzeles to the soldiery — four fanegas, or about four 
hundred weight of wheat, and a lance to each horseman, two fanegas of 
wheat and a lance to each foot soldier. 






A HERALD OF DEFEAT. 121 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Lamentations of the Moors for the battle of Lucena. 

The sentinels looked out from the watchtowers of Loxa, along 
the valley of the Xenel, whieh passes through the mountains of 
Algaringo. They looked to behold the king returning in triumph, 
at the head of his shining host, laden with the spoil of the unbe- 
liever. They looked to behold the standard of their warlike idol, 
the fierce AH Atar, borne by the chivalry of Loxa, ever foremost 
in the wars of the border. 

In the evening of the 21st of April, they descried a single 
horseman urging his faltering steed along the banks of the Xenel. 
As he drew near, they perceived, by the flash of arms, that he 
was a warrior ; and on nearer approach, by the richness of his 
armor and the caparison of his steed, they knew him to be a 
warrior of rank. 

He reached Loxa, faint and aghast ; his courser covered with 
foam, and dust, and blood, panting and staggering with fatigue, 
and gashed with wounds. Having brought his master in safety, 
he sank down and died before the gate of the city. The soldiers 
at the gate gathered round the cavalier, as he stood by his ex- 
piring steed : they knew him to be Cidi Caleb, nephew of the 
chief alfaqui of the mosque in the Albaycin, and their hearts 
were filled with fearful forebodings. 
6 



122 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






'" Cavalier," said they, " how fares it with the king and army ?" 

He cast his hand mournfully towards the land of the Chris- 
tians. " There they lie !" exclaimed he. " The Heavens have 
fallen upon them. All are lost ! all dead !"* 

Upon this, there was a great cry of consternation among the 
people, and loud wailings of women : for the flower of the youth 
of Loxa were with the army. 

An old Moorish soldier, scarred in many a border battle, stood 
leaning on his lance by the gateway. " Where is Ali Atar ?" 
demanded he eagerly. " If he lives, the army cannot be lost." 

" I saw his helm cleft by the Christian sword ; his body is 
floating in the Xenel." 

When the soldier heard these words, he smote his breast and 
threw dust upon his head; for he was an old follower of Ali 
Atar. 

Cidi Caleb gave himself no repose, but, mounting another 
steed, hastened towards Granada. As he passed through the 
villages and hamlets, he spread sorrow around ; for their chosen 
men had followed the king to the wars. 

When he entered the gates of Granada, and announced the 
loss of the king and army, a voice of horror went throughout the 
city. Every one thought but of his own share in the general 
calamity, and crowded round the bearer of ill tidings. One 
asked after a father, another after a brother, some after a lover, 
and many a mother after her son. His replies all spoke of 
wounds and death. To one he replied, " I saw thy father pierced 
with a lance, as he defended the person of the king." To another, 
" Thy brother fell wounded under the hoofs of the horses ; but 
there was no time to aid him, for the Christian cavalry were upon 
us." To another, " I saw the horse of thy lover, covered with 

* Bernaldez (Cura de los Palacios) Hist, de los reyes Catol., MS. cap. 61. 



GRIEF OF MORAYMA, 123 



blood and galloping without his rider." To another, " Thy son 
fought by my side, on the banks of the Xenel : we were sur- 
rounded by the enemy, and driven into the stream. I heard him 
cry upon Allah, in the midst of the waters : when I reached the 
other bank, he was no longer by my side." 

Cidi Caleb passed on, leaving all Granada in lamentation : he 
urged his steed up the steep avenue of trees and fountains that 
leads to the Alhambra, nor stopped until he arrived before the 
gate of Justice. Ayxa, the mother of Boabdil, and Morayma, his 
beloved and tender wife, had daily watched from the tower of 
Gomeres, to behold his triumphant return. Who shall describe 
their affliction, when they heard the tidings of Cidi Caleb ? The 
sultana Ayxa spake not much, but sat as one entranced. Every 
now and then, a deep sigh burst forth, but she raised her eyes to 
Heaven : " It is the will of Allah !" said she, and with these 
words endeavored to repress the agonies of a mother's sorrow. 
The tender Morayma threw herself on the earth, and gave way 
to the full turbulence of her feelings, bewailing her husband and 
her father. The high-minded Ayxa rebuked the violence of her 
grief: " Moderate these transports, my daughter," said she ; " re- 
member magnanimity should be the attribute of princes ; it be- 
comes not them to give way to clamorous sorrow, like common 
and vulgar minds." But Morayma could only deplore her loss, 
with the anguish of a tender woman. She shut herself up in her 
mirador, and gazed all day, with streaming eyes, upon the vega. 
Every object recalled the causes of her affliction. The river 
Xenel, which ran shining amidst groves and gardens, was the 
same on whose banks had perished her father, Ali Atar ; before 
her lay the road to Loxa, by which Boabdil had departed, in 
martial state, surrounded by the chivalry of Granada. Ever and 
anon, she would burst into an agony of grief. " Alas ! my 
father !" she would exclaim ; " the river runs smiling before me, 



124 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



that covers thy mangled remains ; who will gather them to an 
honored tomb, in the land of the unbeliever? And thou, oh, 
Boabdil, light of my eyes ! joy of my heart ! life of my life ! woe 
the day, and woe the hour, that I saw thee depart from these 
walls. The road by which thou hast departed is solitary ; never 
will it be gladdened by thy return ! the mountain thou hast 
traversed lies like a cloud in the distance, and all beyond is 
darkness." 

The royal minstrels were summoned to assuage her sorrows : 
they attuned their instruments to cheerful strains ; but in a little 
while the anguish of their hearts prevailed, and turned their 
songs to lamentations. 

" Beautiful Granada I" exclaimed they, " how is thy glory 
faded ! The flower of thy chivalry lies low in the land of the 
stranger ; no longer does the Vivarrambla echo to the tramp of 
steed and sound of trumpet ; no longer is it crowded with thy 
youthful nobles, gloriously arrayed for the tilt and tourney. Beau- 
tiful Granada ! the soft note of the lute no longer floats through 
thy moonlit streets ; the serenade is no more heard beneath thy 
balconies ; the lively Castanet is silent upon thy hills ; the grace- 
ful dance of the Zambra is no more seen beneath thy bowers ! 
Beautiful Granada ! why is the Alhambra so lorn and desolate ! 
The orange and myrtle still breathe their perfumes into its silken 
chambers ; the nightingale still sings within its groves ; its mar- 
ble halls are still refreshed with the plash of fountains and the 
gush of limpid rills. Alas ! alas ! the countenance of the king 
no longer shines within those halls. The light of the Alhambra 
is set for ever I" 

Thus all Granada, say the Arabian chroniclers, gave itself up 
to lamentation ; there was nothing but the voice of wailing, from 
the palace to the cottage. All joined to deplore their youthful 
monarch, cut down in the freshness and promise of his youth ; 



FOREBODINGS OF THE MOORS. 125 



many feared that the prediction of the astrologers was about to 
be fulfilled, and that the downfall of the kingdom would follow 
the death of Boabdil ; while all declared, that had he survived, 
he was the very sovereign calculated to restore the realm to its 
ancient prosperity and glory. 



126 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

How Muley Abul Hassan profited by the misfortunes of his son Boabdil. 

An unfortunate death atones, with the world, for a multitude of 
errors. While the populace thought their youthful monarch had 
perished in the field, nothing could exceed their grief for his loss, 
and their adoration of his memory : when, however, they learnt 
that he was still alive, and had surrendered himself captive to 
the Christians, their feelings underwent an instant change. They 
decried his talents as a commander, his courage as a soldier ; 
they railed at his expedition, as rash and ill-conducted ; and they 
reviled him for not having dared to die on the field of battle, 
rather than surrender to the enemy. 

- The alfaquis, as usual, mingled with the populace, and artfully 
guided their discontents. " Behold," exclaimed they, " the pre- 
diction is accomplished, which was pronounced at the birth of 
Boabdil. He has been seated on the throne, and the kingdom 
has suffered downfall and disgrace by his defeat and captivity. 
Comfort yourselves, Moslems ! The evil day has passed by ; 
the prophecy is fulfilled : the sceptre which has been broken in 
the feeble hand of Boabdil, is destined to resume its former sway 
in the vigorous grasp of Abul Hassan." 

The people were struck with the wisdom of these words : they 
rejoiced that the baleful prediction, which had so long hung over 
them, was at an end ; and declared, that none but Muley Abul 






RETURN OF MULEY ABUL HASSAN. 127 



Hassan had the valor and capacity necessary for the protection of 
the kingdom, in this time of trouble. 

The longer the captivity of Boabdil continued, the greater 
grew the popularity of his father. One city after another re- 
newed allegiance to him ; for power attracts power, and fortune 
creates fortune. At length he was enabled to return to Granada, 
and establish himself once more in the Alhambra. At his ap- 
proach, his repudiated spouse, the sultana Ayxa, gathered together 
the family and treasures of her captive son, and retired, with a 
handful of the nobles, into the Albaycin, the rival quarter of the 
city, the inhabitants of which still retained feelings of loyalty to 
Boabdil. Here she fortified herself, and held the semblance of a 
court in the name of her son. The fierce Muley Abul Hassan 
would have willingly carried fire and sword into this factious 
quarter of the capital ; but he dared not confide in his new and 
uncertain popularity. Many of the nobles detested him for his 
past cruelty ; and a large portion of the soldiery, besides many of 
the people of his own party, respected the virtues of Ayxa la 
Horra, and pitied the misfortunes of Boabdil. 

Granada therefore presented the singular spectacle of two 
sovereignties within the same city. The old king fortified him- 
self in the lofty towers of the Alhambra, as much against his own 
subjects as against the Christians ; while Ayxa, with the zeal of 
a mother's affection, which waxes warmer and warmer towards her 
offspring when in adversity, still maintained the standard of Bo- 
abdil on the rival fortress of the Alcazaba, and kept his power- 
ful faction alive within the walls of the Albaycin. 



128 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Captivity of Boabdil el Chico. 

The unfortunate Boabdil remained a prisoner closely guarded, 
but treated with great deference and respect, in the castle of Lu- 
eena, where the noblest apartments were appointed for his abode. 
From the towers of his prison, he beheld the town below filled 
with armed men ; and the lofty hill on which it was built, girdled 
by massive walls and ramparts, on which a vigilant watch was 
maintained night and day. The mountains around were studded 
with watchtowerSj overlooking the lonely roads which led to 
Granada, so that a turban could not stir over the border without 
the alarm being given, and the whole country put on the alert. 
Boabdil saw that there was no hope of escape from such a fortress, 
and that any attempt to rescue him would be equally in vain. 
His heart was filled with anxiety, as he thought on the confusion 
and ruin which his captivity must cause in his affairs ; while sor- 
rows of a softer kind overcame his fortitude, as he thought on the 
evils it might bring upon his family. 

A few days only had passed away, when missives arrived from 
the Castilian sovereigns. Ferdinand had been transported with 
joy at hearing of the capture of the Moorish monarch, seeing the 
deep and politic uses that might be made of such an event ; but 
the magnanimous spirit of Isabella was filled with compassion for 



CAPTIVITY OF BOABDIL. 129 



the unfortunate captive. Their messages to Boabdil were full of 
sympathy and consolation, breathing that high and gentle courtesy 
which dwells in noble minds. 

This magnanimity in his foe cheered the dejected spirit of the 
captive monarch. " Tell my sovereigns, the king and queen," 
said he to the messenger, " that I cannot be unhappy, being in 
the power of such high and mighty princes, especially since they 
partake so largely of that grace and goodness which Allah be- 
stows upon the monarchs whom he greatly loves. Tell them fur- 
ther, that I had long thought of submitting myself to their sway, to 
receive the kingdom of Granada from their hands, in the same man- 
ner that my ancestor received it from king John II., father to the 
gracious queen. My greatest sorrow, in this my captivity, is, that 
I must appear to do that from force, which I would fain have 
done from inclination." 

In the mean time, Muley Abul Hassan, finding the faction of 
his son still formidable in Granada, was anxious to consolidate 
his power, by gaining possession of the person of Boabdil. For 
this purpose he sent an embassy to the Catholic monarchs, offer- 
ing large terms for the ransom, or rather the purchase, of his son ; 
proposing, among other conditions, to release the count of Cifu- 
entes and nine other of his most distinguished captives, and to 
enter into a treaty of confederacy with the sovereigns. Neither 
did the implacable father make any scruple of testifying his indif- 
ference whether his son were delivered up alive or dead, so that 
his person were placed assuredly within his power. 

The humane heart of Isabella revolted at the idea of giving 
up the unfortunate prince into the hands of his most unnatural 
and inveterate enemy : a disdainful refusal was therefore returned 
to the old monarch, whose message had been couched in a vaunt- 
ing spirit. He was informed that the Castilian sovereigns 
would listen to no proposals of peace from Muley Abul Has- 
6* 



130 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



san, until he should lay down his arms, and offer them in all hu- 
mility. 

Overtures in a different spirit were made by the mother of 
Boabdil, the sultana Ayxa la Horra, with the concurrence of the 
party which still remained faithful to him. It was thereby pro- 
posed, that Mahomet Abdallah, otherwise called Boabdil, should 
hold his crown as vassal to the Castilian sovereigns, paying an 
annual tribute, and releasing seventy Christian captives annually, 
for five years : that he should, moreover, pay a large sum, upon 
the spot, for his ransom, and at the same time give freedom to 
four hundred Christians to be chosen by the king : that he should 
also engage to be always ready to render military aid, and should 
come to the Cortes, or assemblage of nobles and distinguished 
vassals of the crown, whenever summoned. His only son, and the 
sons of twelve distinguished Moorish houses, were to be delivered 
as hostages. 

An embassy, composed of the alcayde Aben Comixa, Muley, 
the royal standard-bearer, and other distinguished cavaliers, bore 
this proposition to the Spanish Court at Cordova, where they 
were received by King Ferdinand. Queen Isabella was absent 
at the time. He was anxious to consult her in so momentous an 
affair ; or rather, he was fearful of proceeding too precipitately, 
and not drawing from this fortunate event all the advantage of 
which it was susceptible. Without returning any reply, there- 
fore, to the mission, he ordered that the captive monarch should 
be brought to Cordova. 

The alcayde of the Donzeles was the bearer of this mandate, 
and summoned all the hidalgos of Lucena and of his own estates, 
to form an honorable escort for the illustrious prisoner. In this 
style he conducted him to the capital. The cavaliers and autho- 
rities of Cordova came forth to receive the captive king with all 
due ceremony ; and especial care was taken to prevent any taunt 






MULEY HASSAN THREATENED IN HIS CAPITAL. 131 



or insult from the multitude, or any thing that might remind him 
of his humiliation. In this way he entered the once proud capi- 
tal of the Abda'rahmans, and was lodged in the house of the 
king's major-domo. Ferdinand, however, declined seeing the 
Moorish monarch. He was still undetermined what course to 
pursue, — whether to retain him prisoner, set him at liberty on 
ransom, or treat him with politic magnanimity ; and each course 
would require a different kind of reception. Until this point 
should he resolved, therefore, he gave him in charge to Martin de 
Alarcon, alcayde of the ancient fortress of Porcuna, with orders 
to guard him strictly, but to treat him with the distinction and 
deference due unto a prince. These commands were strictly 
obeyed ; he was escorted, as before, in royal state, to the fortress 
which was to form his prison ; and, with the exception of being 
restrained in his liberty, was as nobly entertained there as he 
could have been in his regal palace at Granada. 

In the mean time, Ferdinand availed himself of this critical 
moment, while Granada was distracted with factions and dissen- 
sions, and before he had concluded any treaty with Boabdil, to 
make a puissant and ostentatious inroad into the very heart of 
the kingdom, at the head of his most illustrious nobles. He 
sacked and destroyed several towns and castles, and extended his 
ravages to the very gates of Granada. Muley Abul Hassan did 
not venture to oppose him. His city was filled with troops, but 
he was uncertain of their affection. He dreaded, that should he 
sally forth, the gates of Granada might be closed against him by 
the faction of the Albaycin. 

The old Moor stood on the lofty tower of the Alhambra, (says 
Antonio Agapida,) grinding his teeth, and foaming like a tiger 
shut up in his cage, as he beheld the glittering battalions of the 
Christians wheeling about the vega, and the standard of the cross 
shining forth from among the smoke of infidel villages and ham- 



132 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



lets. The most Catholic king (continues Agapida) would gladly 
have continued this righteous ravage, but his munitions began to 
fail. Satisfied, therefore, with having laid waste the country of 
the enemy, and insulted Muley Abul Hassan in his very capital, 
he returned to Cordova covered with laurels, and his army laden 
with spoils ; and now bethought himself of coming to an imme- 
diate decision, in regard to his royal .prisoner. 



TREATMENT OF BOABDIL. 133 






CHAPTER XX. 

Of the treatment of Boabdil by the Castilian Sovereigns. 

A stately convention was held by king Ferdinand in the ancient 
city of Cordova, composed of several of the most reverend pre- 
lates and renowned cavaliers of the kingdom, to determine upon 
the fate of the unfortunate Boabdil. 

Don Alonzo de Cardenas, the worthy master of Santiago, was 
one of the first who gave his counsel. He was a pious and 
zealous knight, rigid in his devotion to the faith ; and his holy 
zeal had been inflamed to peculiar vehemence, since his disastrous 
crusade among the mountains of Malaga. He inveighed with 
ardor against any compromise or compact with the infidels ; the 
object of this war, he observed, was not the subjection of the 
Moors, but their utter expulsion from the land ; so that there 
might no longer remain a single stain of Mahometanism through- 
out Christian Spain. He gave it as his opinion, therefore, that 
the captive king ought not to be set at liberty. 

Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of Cadiz, on the contrary, 
spoke warmly for the release of Boabdil. He pronounced it a 
measure of sound policy, even if done without conditions. It 
would tend to keep up the civil war in Granada, which was as a 
fire consuming the entrails of the enemy, and effecting more for 
the interests of Spain, without expense, than all the conquests of 
\ts arms. 



134 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The grand cardinal of Spain, Don Pedro Gonzalez de Men- 
doza, coincided in opinion with the marques of Cadiz. Nay, 
(added that pious prelate and politic statesman,) it would be 
sound wisdom to furnish the Moor with men and money, and all 
other necessaries, to promote the civil war in Granada : by this 
means would be produced great benefit to the service of God, 
since we are assured by his infallible word, that " a kingdom 
divided against itself cannot stand."* 

Ferdinand weighed these counsels in his mind, but was slow 
in coming to a decision ; he was religiously attentive to his own 
interests, (observes Fray Antonio Agapida,) knowing himself to 
be but an instrument of Providence in this holy war, and that, 
therefore, in consulting his own advantage he was promoting the 
interests of the faith. The opinion of queen Isabella relieved 
him from his perplexity. That high-minded princess was zealous 
for the promotion of the faith, but not for the extermination of 
the infidels. The Moorish kings had held their thrones as vassals 
to her progenitors ; she was content at present to accord the same 
privilege, and that the royal prisoner should be liberated on con- 
dition of becoming a vassal to the crown. By this means might 
be effected the deliverance of many Christian captives, who were 
languishing in Moorish chains. 

King Ferdinand adopted the magnanimous measure recom- 
mended by the queen ; but he accompanied it with several shrewd 
conditions ; exacting tribute, military services, and safe passages 
and maintenance for Christian troops, throughout the places 
which should adhere to Boabdil. The captive king readily sub- 
mitted to these stipulations, and swore, after the manner of his 
faith, to observe them with exactitude. A truce was arranged 
for two years, during which the Castilian sovereigns engaged to 

* Salazar. Cronica del Gran Cardinal, p. 188. 






BOABDIL'S TRUCE AS A VASSAL. 135 



maintain him on his throne, and to assist him in recovering all 
places which he had lost during his captivity. 

When Boabdil el Chico had solemnly agreed to this arrange- 
ment, in the castle of Porcuna, preparations were made to receive 
him in Cordova in regal style. Superb steeds richly caparisoned, 
and raiments of brocade, and silk, and the most costly cloths, 
with all other articles of sumptuous array, were furnished to him 
and to fifty Moorish cavaliers, who had come to treat for his ran- 
som, that he might appear in state befitting the monarch of Gra- 
nada, and the most distinguished vassal of the Castilian sove- 
reigns. Money also was advanced to maintain him in suitable 
grandeur, during his residence at the Castilian court, and his re- 
turn to his dominions. Finally, it was ordered by the sovereigns 
that when he came to Cordova, all the nobles and dignitaries of 
the court should go forth to .receive him. 

A question now arose among certain of those ancient and ex- 
perienced men, who grow gray about a court in the profound 
study of forms and ceremonials, with whom a point of punctilio 
is as a vast political right, and who contract a sublime and awful 
idea of the external dignity of the throne. Certain of these 
court sages propounded the momentous question, whether the 
Moorish monarch, coming to do homage as a vassal, ought not to 
kneel and kiss the hand of the king. This was immediately de- 
cided in the affirmative, by a large number of ancient cavaliers, 
accustomed (says Antonio Agapida) to the lofty punctilio of our 
most dignified court and transcendent sovereigns. The king, 
therefore, was informed by those who arranged the ceremonials, 
that when the Moorish monarch appeared' in his presence, he was 
expected to extend his royal hand to receive the kiss of homage. 

" I should certainly do so," replied king Ferdinand, " were 
he at liberty, and in his own kingdom ; but I certainly shall not 
do so, seeing that he is a prisoner and in mine." 



136 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The courtiers loudly applauded the magnanimity of this 
reply ; though many condemned it in secret, as savoring of too 
much generosity towards an infidel ; and the worthy Jesuit, Fray 
Antonio Agapida, fully concurs in their opinion. 

The Moorish king entered Cordova with his little train of 
faithful knights, and escorted by all the nobility and chivalry of 
the Castilian court. He was conducted, with great state and 
ceremony, to the royal palace. When he came in presence of 
Ferdinand, he knelt and offered to kiss his hand, not merely in 
homage as his subject, but in gratitude for his liberty. Ferdi- 
nand declined the token of vassalage, and raised him graciously 
from the earth. An interpreter began, in the name of Boabdil, 
to laud the magnanimity of the Castilian monarch, and to promise 
the most implicit submission. " Enough," said king Ferdinand, 
interrupting the interpreter in the midst of his harangue : " there 
is no need of these compliments. I trust in his integrity, that he 
will do every thing becoming a good man and a good king." 
With these words, he received Boabdil el Chico into his royal 
friendship and protection. 



BOABDIL'S RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY. 137 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Return of Boabdil from captivity. 

In the month of August, a noble Moor, of the race of the Aben- 
cerrages, arrived with a splendid retinue at the city of Cordova, 
bringing with him the son of Boabdil el Chico, and other of the 
noble youth of Granada, as hostages for the fulfilment of the 
terms of ransom. When the Moorish king beheld his son, his 
only child, who was to remain in his stead, a sort of captive in a 
hostile land, he folded him in his arms and wept over him. " Woe 
the day that I was born !" exclaimed he, " and evil the stars that 
presided at my birth ! Well was I called El Zogoybi, or the un- 
lucky ; for sorrow is heaped upon me by my father, and sorrow 
do I transmit to my son I" The afflicted heart of Boabdil, how- 
ever, was soothed by the kindness of the Christian sovereigns, 
who received the hostage prince with a tenderness suited to his 
age, and a distinction worthy of his rank. They delivered him 
in charge to the worthy alcayde Martin de Alarcon, who had 
treated his father with such courtesy during his confinement in 
the castle of Porcuna, giving orders, that, after the departure of 
the latter, his son should be entertained with great honor and 
princely attention, in the same fortress. 

On the 2d of September, a guard of honor assembled at the 
gate of the mansion of Boabdil, to escort him to the frontiers of 



138 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



his kingdom. He pressed his child to his heart at parting, but 
he uttered not a word ; for there were many Christian eyes, to 
behold his emotion. He mounted his steed, and never turned his 
head to look again upon the youth ; but those who were near him 
observed the vehement struggle that shook his frame, wherein the 
anguish of the father had well nigh subdued the studied equani- 
mity of the king. 

Boabdil el Chico and king Ferdinand sallied forth, side by 
side, from Cordova, amidst the acclamations of a prodigious mul- 
titude. When they were a short distance from the city, they 
separated, with many gracious expressions on the part of the Cas- 
tilian monarch, and many thankful acknowledgments from his 
late captive, whose heart had been humbled by adversity. Fer- 
dinand departed for Guadalupe, and Boabdil for Granada. The 
latter was accompanied by a guard of honor ; and the viceroys of 
Andalusia, and the generals on the frontier, were ordered to fur- 
nish him with escorts, and to show him all possible honor on his 
journey. In this way he was conducted in royal state through 
the country he had entered to ravage, and was placed in safety in 
his own dominions. 

He was met on the frontier by the principal nobles and cava- 
liers of his court, who had been secretly sent by his mother, the 
sultana Ayxa, to escort him to the capital. The heart of Boab- 
dil was lifted up for a moment, when he found himself on his own 
territories, surrounded by Moslem knights, with his own banners 
waving over his head ; and he began to doubt the predictions of 
the astrologers : he soon found cause, however, to moderate his 
exultation. The royal train which had come to welcome him, 
was but scanty in number, and he missed many of his most zea- 
lous and obsequious courtiers. He had returned, indeed, to his 
kingdom, but it was no longer the devoted kingdom he had left. 
The story of his vassalage to the Christian sovereigns, had been 



COLD RECEPTION. 139 



made use of by his father to ruin him with the people. He had 
"been represented as a traitor to his country, a renegado to his 
faith, and as leagued with the enemies of both, to subdue the 
Moslems of Spain to the yoke of Christian bondage. In this way, 
the mind of the public had been turned from him ; the greater 
part of the nobility had thronged round the throne of his father 
in the Alhambra; and his mother, the resolute sultana Ayxa, 
with difficulty maintained her faction in the opposite towers of 
the Alcazaba. 

Such was the melancholy picture of affairs given to Boabdil 
by the courtiers who had come forth to meet him. They even 
informed him that it would be an enterprise of difficulty and dan- 
ger to make his way back to the capital, and regain the little 
court which still remained faithful to him in the heart of the 
city. The old tiger, Muley Abul Hassan, lay couched within the 
Alhambra, and the walls and gates of the city were strongly 
guarded by his troops. Boabdil shook his head, at these tidings. 
He called to mind the ill omen of his breaking his lance against 
the gate of Elvira, when issuing forth so vaingloriously with his 
army, which he now saw clearly had foreboded the destruction of 
that army on which he had so confidently relied. " Henceforth," 
said he, " let no man have the impiety to scoff at omens." 

Boabdil approached his capital by stealth, and in the night, 
prowling about its walls, like an enemy seeking to destroy, rather 
than a monarch returning to his throne. At length he seized 
upon a postern-gate of the Albaycin, — that part of the city which 
had always been in his favor ; he passed rapdily through the 
streets before the populace were aroused from their sleep, and 
reached in safety the fortress of the Alcazaba. Here he was re- 
ceived into the embraces of his intrepid mother, and his favorite 
wife Morayma. The transports of the latter, on the safe return 
of her husband, were mingled with tears ; for she thought of her 



140 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



father, Ali Atar, who had fallen in his cause, and of her only so: 
who was left a hostage in the hand of the Christians. 

The heart of Boabdil, softened by his misfortunes, was move* 
by the changes in every thing round him ; but his mother calle 
up his spirit. " This," said she, " is no time for tears and fond 
ness. A king must think of his sceptre and his throne, and not 
yield to softness like common men. Thou hast done well, my 
son, in throwing thyself resolutely into Granada : it must depend 
upon thyself, whether thou remain here a king or a captive." 

The old king, Muley Abul Hassan, had retired to his couch 
that night, in one of the strongest towers of the Alhambra ; but 
his restless anxiety kept him from repose. In the first watch of 
the night, he heard a shout faintly rising from the quarter of 
the Albaycin, which is on the opposite side of the deep valley of 
the Darro. Shortly afterwards, horsemen came galloping up the 
hill that leads to the main gate of the Alhambra, spreading the 
alarm that Boabdil had entered the city and possessed himself of 
the Alcazaba. 

In the first transports of his rage, the old king would have 
struck the messenger to earth. He hastily summoned his coun- 
sellors and commanders, exhorting them to stand by him in this 
critical moment ; and, during the night, made every preparation 
to enter the Albaycin sword in hand in the morning. 

In the mean time, the sultana Ayxa had taken prompt and 
vigorous measures to strengthen her party. The Albaycin was 
the part of the city filled by the lower orders. The return of 
Boabdil was proclaimed throughout the streets, and large sums of 
money were distributed among the populace. The nobles, assein 
bled in the Alcazaba, were promised honors and rewards by Bo 
abdil, as soon as he should be firmly seated on the throne. These 
well-timed measures had the customary effect ; and, by daybreak, 
all the motley populace of the Albaycin were in arms. 






i 






BOABDIL DRIVEN FROM HIS CAPITAL. 141 



A doleful day succeeded. All Granada was a scene of tumult 
and horror. Drums and trumpets resounded in every part ; all 
business was interrupted ; the shops were shut, the doors barri- 
cadoed. Armed bands paraded the streets, some shouting for 
Boabdil, and some for Muley Abul Hassan. When they encoun- 
tered each other, they fought furiously and without mercy ; every 
public square became a scene of battle. The great mass of the 
lower orders was in favor of Boabdil, but it was a multitude with- 
out discipline or lofty spirit ; part of the people were regularly 
armed, but the greater number had sallied forth with the imple- 
ments of their trade. The troops of the old king, among whom 
were many cavaliers of pride and valor, soon drove the populace 
from the squares. They fortified themselves, however, in the 
streets and lanes, which they barricadoed. They made fortresses 
of their houses, and fought desperately from the windows and the 
roofs, and many a warrior of the highest blood of Granada 
was laid low by plebeian hands and plebeian weapons in this civic 
brawl.* 

It was impossible that such violent convulsions should last 
long, in the heart of a city. The people soon long for repose, and 
a return to their peaceful occupations ; and the cavaliers detested 
these conflicts with the multitude, in which were all the horrors 
of war without its laurels. By the interference of the alfaquis, 
an armstice was at length effected. Boabdil was persuaded that 
there was no dependence upon the inconstant favor of the multi- 
tude, and was prevailed upon to quit a capital where he could 
only maintain a precarious seat upon his throne by a perpetual 
and bloody struggle. He fixed his court at the city of Almeria, 
which was entirely devoted to him, and which, at that time vied 
with Granada in splendor and importance. This compromise of 

* Conde. DomiD de los Arabes. p. 4. c. 37. 



142 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



grandeur for tranquillity, however, was sorely against the coun- 
sels of his proud-spirited mother, the sultana Ayxa. Granada 
appeared, in her eyes, the only legitimate seat of dominion ; 
and she observed, with a smile of disdain, that he was not 
worthy of being called a monarch, who was not master of his 
capital. 



MOORISH FORAY. 143 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Foray of the Moorish Alcaydes, and battle of Lopera. 

Though Muley Abul Hassan had regained undivided sway over 
the city of Granada, and the alfaquis, by his command, had de- 
nounced his son Boabdil as an apostate, doomed by Heaven to 
misfortune, still the latter had many adherents among the com- 
mon people. Whenever, therefore, any act of the old monarch 
was displeasing to the turbulent multitude, they were prone to 
give him a hint of the slippery nature of his standing by shout- 
ing out the name of Boabdil el Chico. Long experience had in- 
structed Muley Abul Hassan in the character of the inconstant 
people over whom he ruled. " A successful inroad into the coun- 
try of the unbelievers," said he, " will make more converts to my 
cause than a thousand texts of the Koran, expounded by ten 
thousand alfaquis." 

At this time king Ferdinand was absent from Andalusia on a 
distant expedition, with many of his troops. The moment was 
favorable for a foray, and Muley Abul Hassan cast about his 
thoughts for a leader to conduct it. Ali Atar, the terror of the 
border, the scourge of Andalusia, was dead ; but there was another 
veteran general, scarce inferior to him for predatory warfare. 
This was old Bexir, the gray and crafty alcayde of Malaga ; and 
the people under his command were ripe for an expedition of the 
kind. The signal defeat and slaughter of the Spanish knights in 



144 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



? 



the neighboring mountains had filled the people of Malaga with 
vanity and self-conceit. They had attributed to their own valor 
the defeat caused by the nature of the country. Many of them 
wore the armor and paraded in public with the horses of the un- 
fortunate cavaliers slain on that occasion, vauntingly displaying 
them as trophies of their boasted victory. They had talked 
themselves into a contempt for the chivalry of Andalusia, and 
were impatient for an opportunity to overrun a country defended 
by such troops. This, Muley Abul Hassan considered a favora- 
ble state of mind for a daring inroad, and sent orders to old 
Bexir to gather together the choicest warriors of the borders, and 
carry fire and sword into the very heart of Andalusia. Bexir 
immediately dispatched his emissaries among the alcaydes of the 
border towns, calling upon them to assemble with their troops at 
the city of Ronda. 

Honda was the most virulent nest of Moorish depredators in 
the whole border country. It was situated in the midst of the 
wild Serrania, or chain of mountains of the same name, which are 
uncommonly lofty, broken, and precipitous. It stood on an almost 
isolated rock, nearly encircled by a deep valley, or rather chasm, 
through which ran the beautiful river called Rio Verde. The 
Moors of this city were the most active, robust, and warlike of 
all the mountaineers, and their very children discharged the cross- 
bow with unerring aim. They were incessantly harassing the 
rich plains of Andalusia; their city abounded with Christian 
captives, who might sigh in vain for deliverance from this impreg- 
nable fortress. Such was Honda in the time of the Moors ; and 
it has ever retained something of the same character, even to the 
present day. Its inhabitants continue to be among the boldest, 
fiercest, and most adventurous of the Andalusian mountaineers ; 
and the Serrania de Eonda is famous as the most dangerous re- 
sort of the bandit and the contrabandista. 



MOORISH FORAY. 145 



Hamet Zeli, sura; El Zegri, was the commander of this 

bellige ,e inhabitants. He was of the tribe 

of j of the most proud and daring of that 

ae the inhabitants of Ronda and some of his 

a had a legion of African Moors in his immediate 

^ey were of the tribe of the Gomeres, so called from 

dtive mountains, mercenary troops, whose hot African 

jd had not yet been tempered by the softer living of Spain, 
and whose whole business was to fight. These he kept always 
well armed and well appointed. The rich pasturage of the valley 
of Ronda produced a breed of horses famous for strength and 
speed ; no cavalry, therefore, was better mounted than the band 
of Gomeres. Rapid on the march, fierce in the attack, it would 
sweep down upon the Andalusian plains like a sudden blast from 
the mountains, and pass away as suddenly, before there was time 
for pursuit. 

There was nothing that stirred up the spirit of the Moors of 
the frontiers more thoroughly than the idea of a foray. The 
summons of Bexir was gladly obeyed by the alcaydes of the 
border towns, and in a little while there was a force of fifteen 
hundred horse and four thousand foot, the very pith and marrow 
of the surrounding country, assembled within the walls of Ronda. 
The people of the place anticipated with eagerness the rich spoils 
of Andalusia, soon to crowd their gates ; throughout the day, the 
city resounded with the noise of kettle-drum and trumpet ; the 
high-mettled steeds stamped and neighed in their stalls, as if they 
shared the impatience for the foray ; while the Christian captives 
sighed, as the varied din of preparation reached their rocky dun- 
geons, denoting a fresh expedition against their countrymen. 

The infidel host sallied forth full of spirits, anticipating an 
easy ravage and abundant booty. They encouraged each other 
in a contempt for the prowess of the foe. Many of the warriors 
7 



146 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



of Malaga, and of some of the mountain towns, had insultingly 
arrayed themselves in the splendid armor of the Christian knights 
slain or taken prisoners in the famous massacre, and some of them 
rode the Andalusian steeds captured on that occasion. 

The wary Bexir concerted his plans so secretly and expedi- 
tiously, that the Christian towns of Andalusia had not the least 
suspicion of the storm gathering beyond the mountains. The 
vast and rocky range of the Serrania de Honda extended like a 
screen, covering all their movements from observation. 

The army made its way as rapidly as the rugged nature of 
the mountains would permit, guided by Hamet el Zegri, the bold 
alcayde of Honda, who knew every pass and defile : not a drum, 
nor the clash of a cymbal, nor the blast of a trumpet, was per- 
mitted to be heard. The mass of war rolled quietly on as the 
gathering cloud to the brow of the mountains, intending to burst 
down like the thunderbolt upon the plain. 

Never let the most wary commander fancy himself secure 
from discovery ; for rocks have eyes, and trees have ears, and the 
birds of the air have tongues, to betray the most secret enterprise. 
There chanced at this time to be six Christian scouts, prowling 
about the savage heights of the Serrania de Eonda. They were 
of that kind of lawless ruffians who infest the borders of belli- 
gerent countries, ready at any time to fight for pay, or prowl for 
plunder. The wild mountain passes of Spain have ever abounded 
with loose rambling vagabonds of the kind, — soldiers in war, 
robbers in peace ; guides, guards, smugglers, or cut-throats, accord- 
ing to the circumstances of the case. 

These six marauders (says Fray Antonio Agapida) were on 
this occasion chosen instruments, sanctified by the righteousness 
of their cause. They were lurking among the mountains, to 
entrap Moorish cattle or Moorish prisoners, both of which were 






PUERTO CARRERO. 147 



equally saleable in the Christian market. They had ascended 
one of the loftiest cliffs, and were looking out like birds of prey, 
ready to pounce upon any thing that might offer in the valley, 
when they descried the Moorish army emerging from a mountain 
glen. They watched it as it wound below them, remarking the 
standards of the various towns and the pennons of the com- 
manders. They hovered about it on its march, skulking from 
cliff to cliff, until they saw the route by which it intended to enter 
the Christian country. They then dispersed, each making his 
way by the secret passes of the mountains to some different 
alcayde, that they might spread the alarm far and wide, and each 
get a separate reward. 

One hastened to Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, the same 
valiant alcayde who had repulsed Muley Abul Hassan from the 
walls of Alhama, and who now commanded at Ecija, in the 
absence of the master of Santiago. Others roused the town of 
Utrera, and the places of that neighborhood, putting them all on 
the alert.* 

Puerto Carrero was a cavalier of consummate vigor and 
activity. He immediately sent couriers to the alcaydes of the 
neighboring fortresses ; to Herman Carrello, captain of a body of 
the Holy Brotherhood, and to certain knights of the order of 
Alcantara. Puerto Carrero was the first to take the field. Know- 
ing the hard and hungry service of these border scampers, he 
made every man take a hearty repast, and see that his horse was 
well shod and perfectly appointed. Then all being refreshed and 
in valiant heart, he sallied forth to seek the Moors. He had but 
a handful of men, the retainers of his household and troops of 
his captaincy ; but they were well armed and mounted, and accus- 
tomed to the sudden rouses of the border ; men whom the cry of 

* Pulgar, p. 3, c. 24. Cura de los Palacios, cap. 67. 



148 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



" Arm and out ! to horse and to the field !" was sufficient at any 
time to put in a fever of animation. 

While the northern part of Andalusia was thus on the alert, 
one of the scouts had hastened southward to the city of Xeres, 
and given the alarm to the valiant marques of Cadiz. When the 
marques heard that the Moor was over the border, and that the 
standard of Malaga was in the advance, his heart bounded with a 
momentary joy ; for he remembered the massacre in the moun- 
tains, where his valiant brothers had been mangled before his 
eyes. The very authors of his calamity were now at hand, and 
he flattered himself that the day of vengeance had arrived. He 
made a hasty levy of his retainers and of the fighting men of 
Xeres, and hurried off with three hundred horse and two hundred 
foot, all resolute men and panting for revenge. 

In the mean time, the veteran Bexir had accomplished his 
march, as he imagined, undiscovered. From the openings of the 
craggy defiles, he pointed out the fertile plains of Andalusia, and 
regaled the eyes of his soldiery with the rich country they were 
about to ravage. The fierce Gromeres of Honda were flushed with 
joy at the sight ; and even their steeds seemed to prick up their 
ears and snuff the breeze, as they beheld the scenes of their fre- 
quent forays. 

When they came to where the mountain defile opened into 
the low land, Bexir divided his force into three parts : one, com- 
posed of foot-soldiers and such as were weakly mounted, he left to 
guard the pass, being too experienced a veteran not to know the 
importance of securing a retreat : a second body he placed in 
ambush, among the groves and thickets on the banks of the river 
Lopera : the third, consisting of light cavalry, he sent forth to 
ravage the Campifia, or great plain of Utrera. Most of this 
latter force was composed of the Gomeres of Honda, mounted on 
the fleet steeds bred among the mountains. It was led by Hamet 



CARRERO'S VICTORY. 149 



el Zegri, ever eager to be foremost in the forage. Little sus- 
pecting that the country on both sides was on the alarm, and 
rushing from all directions to close upon them in the rear, this 
fiery troop dashed forward until they came within two leagues of 
Utrera. Here they scattered themselves about the plain, career- 
ing round the great herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, and 
sweeping them into droves, to be hurried to the mountains. 

While thus dispersed, a troop of horse and body of foot from 
Utrera came suddenly upon them. The Moors rallied together 
in small parties, and endeavored to defend themselves ; but they 
were without a leader, for Hamet el Zegri was at a distance, 
having, like a hawk, made a wide circuit in pursuit of prey. 
The marauders soon gave way and fled towards the ambush 
on the banks of the Lopera, being hotly pursued by the men of 
Utrera. 

When they reached the Lopera, the Moors in ambush rushed 
forth with furious cries; and the fugitives, recovering courage 
from this reinforcement, rallied and turned upon their pursuers. 
The Christians stood their ground, though greatly inferior in 
number. Their lances were soon broken, and they came to sharp 
work with sword and scimetar. The Christians fought valiantly, 
but were in danger of being overwhelmed. The bold Hamet 
collected a handful of his scattered G-omeres, left his prey, and gal- 
loped towards the scene of action. His little troop of horsemen 
had reached the crest of a rising ground at no great distance, 
when trumpets were heard in another direction, and Luis Fernan- 
dez Puerto Carrero and his followers came galloping into the 
field, and charged upon the infidels in flank. 

The Moors were astounded at finding war thus breaking upon 
them, from various quarters of what they had expected to find an 
unguarded country. They fought for a short time with despera- 
tion, and resisted a vehement assault from the knights of Alcan- 



150 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



tara, and the men-at-arms of the Holy Brotherhood. At length 
the veteran Bexir was struck from his horse by Puerto Carrero, 
and taken prisoner, and the whole force gave way and fled. In 
their flight, they separated, and took two roads to the mountains, 
thinking, by dividing their forces, to distract the enemy. The 
Christians were too few to separate. Puerto Carrero kept them 
together, pursuing one division of the enemy with great slaughter. 
This battle took place at the fountain of the fig-tree, near to the 
Lopera. Six hundred Moorish cavaliers were slain, and many 
taken prisoners. Much spoil was collected on the field, with 
which the Christians returned in triumph to their homes. 

The larger body of the enemy had retreated along a road 
leading more to the south, by the banks of the Gaudalete. When 
they reached that river the sound of pursuit had died away, and 
they rallied to breathe and refresh themselves on the margin of 
the stream. Their force was reduced to about a thousand horse, 
and a confused multitude of foot. While they were scattered 
and partly dismounted on the banks of the Guadalete, a fresh 
storm of war burst upon them from an opposite direction. It 
was the marques of Cadiz, leading on his household troops and 
the fighting men of Xeres. When the Christian warriors came 
in sight of the Moors, they were roused to fury at beholding 
many of them arrayed in the armor of the cavaliers who had 
been slain among the mountains of Malaga. Nay, some who had 
been in that defeat beheld their own armor, which they had cast 
away in their flight, to enable themselves to climb the mountains. 
Exasperated at the sight, they rushed upon the foe with the fe- 
rocity of tigers, rather than the temperate courage of cavaliers. 
Each man felt as if he were avenging the death of a relative, or 
wiping out his own disgrace. The good marques, himself, beheld 
a powerful Moor bestriding the horse of his brother Bel- 
tran : giving a cry of rage and anguish at the sight, he rushed 



EXULTATION MIXED WITH SORROW. 151 



through the thickest of the enemy, attacked the Moor with re- 
sistless fury, and after a short combat, hurled him breathless to 
the earth. 

The Moors, already vanquished in spirit, could not withstand 
the assault of men thus madly excited. They soon gave way, 
and fled for the defile of the Serrania de Ronda, where the body 
of troops had been stationed to secure a retreat. These, seeing 
them come galloping wildly up the defile, with Christian banners 
in pursuit, and the flash of weapons at their deadly work, thought 
all Andalusia was upon them, and fled without awaiting an attack. 
The pursuit continued among glens and defiles ; for the Chris- 
tian warriors, eager for revenge, had no compassion on the foe. 

When the pursuit was over, the marques of Cadiz and his fol- 
lowers reposed themselves upon the banks of the Guadalete, 
where they divided the spoil. Among this were found many rich 
corselets, helmets, and weapons, — the Moorish trophies of the de- 
feat in the mountains of Malaga. Several were claimed by their 
owners ; others were known to have belonged to noble cavaliers, 
who had been slain or taken prisoners. There were several horses 
also, richly caparisoned, which had pranced proudly with the 
unfortunate warriors, as they sallied out of Antiquera upon that 
fatal expedition. Thus the exultation of the victors was dashed 
with melancholy, and many a knight was seen lamenting over the 
helmet or corselet of some loved companion in arms. 

The good marques of Cadiz was resting under a tree on the 
banks of the Guadalete, when the horse which had belonged to 
his slaughtered brother Beltran was brought to him. He laid his 
hand upon the mane, and looked wistfully at the empty saddle. 
His bosom heaved with violent agitation, and his lip quivered and 
was pale. " Ay de mi ! hermano I" (woe is me ! my brother !) 
was all that he said ; for the grief of a warrior has not many 
words. He looked round on the field strewn with the bodies of 



152 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the enemy, and in the bitterness of his woe felt consoled by the 
idea that his brother had not been unrevenged. 



Note. — " En el despojo de la Batalla se vieron muchas ricas corazas e 
capacetes, e barberas de las que se habian perdido en el Axarquia, e otras 
muchas armas, e algunes fueron conocidas de sus duenos que las habian 
dejado por fuir, e otras fueron conocidas, que eran mui senaladas de hom- 
bres principales que habian quedado muertos e cautivos, i fueron tornados 
muchos de los mismos Caballos con sus ricas sillas, de los que quedaron en 
la Axarquia, e fueron conocidos cuios eran." — Cur a de los Palacios, cap. 67. 



RETREAT OF HAMET EL ZEGRI. 153 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Retreat of Hamet el Zegri, Alcayde of Ronda. 

The bold alcayde of Ronda, Hamet el Zegri, had careered wide 
over the Campina of Utrera, encompassing the flocks and herds, 
when he heard the burst of war at a distance. There were with 
him but a handful of his Gomeres. He saw the scamper and 
pursuit afar off, and beheld the Christian horsemen spurring 
madly towards the ambuscade on the banks of the Lopera. 
Hamet tossed his hand triumphantly aloft, for his men to follow 
him. " The Christian dogs are ours !" said he, as he put spurs 
to his horse, to take the enemy in rear. 

The little band, which followed Hamet, scarcely amounted to 
thirty horsemen. They spurred across the plain, and reached a 
rising ground, just as the force of Puerto Carrero had charged, 
with sound of trumpet, upon the flank of the party in ambush. 
Hamet beheld the headlong rout of the army, with rage and 
consternation. He found the country was pouring forth its 
legions from every quarter, and perceived that there was no safety 
but in precipitate flight. 

But which way to fly 7 An army was between him and the 

mountain pass ; all the forces of the neighborhood were rushing 

to the borders ; the whole route by which he had come, was by 

this time occupied by the foe. He checked his steed, rose in the 

7* 



154 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



stirrups, and rolled a stern and thoughtful eye over the country ; 
then sinking into his saddle, he seemed to commune a moment 
with himself. Turning quickly to his troop, he singled out a 
renegado Christian, a traitor to his religion and his king. " Come 
hither," said Hamet. " Thou knowest all the secret passes of the 
country." " I do," replied the renegado. " Dost thou know any 
circuitous route, solitary and untravelled, by which we can pass 
wide within these troops, and reach the Serrania V' The rene- 
gado paused : " Such a route I know, but it is full of peril, for it 
leads through the heart of the Christian land." "'Tis well," said 
Hamet ; " the more dangerous in appearance, the less it will be 
suspected. Now hearken to me. Ride by my side. Thou seest 
this purse of gold, and this scimetar. Take us, by the route thou 
hast mentioned, safe to the pass of the Serrania, and this purse 
shall be thy reward ; betray us, and this scimetar shall cleave 
thee to the saddle-bow."* 

The renegado obeyed, trembling. They turned off from the 
direct road to the mountains, and struck southward toward Le- 
brixa, passing by the most solitary roads, and along those deep 
ramblas and ravines by which the country is intersected. It was 
indeed a daring course. Every now and then they heard the 
distant sound of trumpets, and the alarm-bells of towns and 
villages, and found that the war was still hurrying to the borders. 
They hid themselves in thickets, and in dry beds of rivers, until 
the danger had passed by, and then resumed their course. Hamet 
el Zegri rode on in silence, his hand upon his scimetar and his 
eye upon the renegado guide, prepared to sacrifice him on the 
least sign of treachery ; while his band followed, gnawing their 
lips with rage, at having thus to skulk through a country they had 
come to ravage. 

* Cura de los Palacios, ubi sup. 



MOORISH LAMENTATIONS. 155 



When night fell, they struck into more practicable roads, 
always keeping wide of the villages and hamlets, lest the watch- 
dogs should betray them. In this way, they passed in deep mid- 
night by Arcos, crossed the Gruadalete, and effected their retreat 
to the mountains. The day dawned, as they made their way up 
the savage denies. Their comrades had been hunted up these 
very glens by the enemy. Every now and then, they came to 
where there had been a partial fight, or a slaughter of the fugi- 
tives ; and the rocks were red with blood, and strewed with man- 
gled bodies. The alcayde of Eonda was almost frantic with rage, 
at seeing many of his bravest warriors lying stiff and stark, a 
prey to the hawks and vultures of the mountains. Now and then 
some wretched Moor would crawl out of a cave or glen, whither 
he had fled for refuge ; for in the retreat, many of the horsemen 
had abandoned their steeds, thrown away their armor, and clam- 
bered up the cliffs, where they could not be pursued by the Chris- 
tian cavalry. 

The Moorish army had sallied forth from Ronda, amidst 
shouts and acclamations ; but wailings were heard within its 
walls, as the alcayde and his broken band returned without banner 
or trumpet, and haggard with famine and fatigue. The tidings 
of their disaster had preceded them, borne by the fugitives of the 
army. No one ventured to speak to the stern Hamet, as he en- 
tered the city ; for they saw a dark cloud upon his brow. 

It seemed (says the pious Antonio Agapida) as if Heaven 
meted out this defeat in exact retribution for the ills inflicted 
upon the Christian warriors in the heights of Malaga. It was 
equally signal and disastrous. Of the brilliant array of Moorish 
chivalry, which had descended so confidently into Andalusia, not 
more than two hundred escaped. The choicest troops of the 
frontier were either taken or destroyed ; the Moorish garrisons 
enfeebled ; and many alcaydes and cavaliers of noble lineage 



156 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



carried into captivity, who were afterwards obliged to redeem 
themselves with heavy ransoms. 

This was called the battle of Lopera, and was fought on the 
17th of September, 1483. Ferdinand and Isabella were at Vit- 
toria in Old Castile, when they received news of the victory, and 
the standards taken from the enemy. They celebrated the event 
with processions, illuminations, and other festivities. Ferdinand 
sent to the marques of Cadiz the royal raiment which he had 
worn on that day, and conferred on him, and all those who should 
inherit his title, the privilege of wearing royal robes on our 
Lady's day, in September, in commemoration of this victory.* 

Queen Isabella was equally mindful of the great services of 
Don Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero. Besides many encomiums 
and favors, she sent to his wife the royal vestments and robe of 
brocade which she had worn on the same day, to be worn by her, 
during her life, on the anniversary of that battle.* 

* Mariana, Abarca, Zurita, Pulgar, &c. 



RECEPTION OF THE VICTORS. 157 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



Of the reception at court of the Count de Cabra and the Alcayde de los 

Donceles. 



In the midst of the bustle of warlike affairs, the worthy chronicler 
Fray Antonio Agapida pauses to note, with curious accuracy, the 
distinguished reception given to the count de Cabra and his ne- 
phew, the alcayde de los Donceles, at the stately and ceremonious 
court of the Castilian sovereigns, in reward for the capture of the 
Moorish king Boabdil. The court (he observes) was held at the 
time in the ancient Moorish palace of the city of Cordova, and 
the ceremonials were arranged by that venerable prelate Don Pe- 
dro Gonzales de Mendoza, bishop of Toledo and grand cardinal 
of Spain. 

It was on Wednesday, the 14th of October, (continues the 
precise Antonio Agapida,) that the good count de Cabra, accord- 
ing to arrangement, appeared at the gate of Cordova. Here he 
was met by the grand cardinal, and the duke of Villahermosa, 
illegitimate brother of the king, together with many of the first 
grandees and prelates of the kingdom. By this august train 
was he attended to the palace, amidst strains of martial music, 
and the shouts of a prodigious multitude. 

When the count arrived in the presence of the sovereigns, 
who were seated in state on a dais or raised part of the hall of 



158 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



audience, they both arose. The king advanced exactly five steps 
toward the count, who knelt and kissed his royal hand ; however, 
the king would not receive him as a mere vassal, but embraced 
him with affectionate cordiality. The queen also advanced two 
steps, and received the count with a countenance full of sweetness 
and benignity : after he had kissed her hand, the king and queen 
returned to their thrones, and, cushions being brought, they or- 
dered the count de Cabra to be seated in their presence. This 
last circumstance is written in large letters, and followed by se- 
veral notes of admiration, in the manuscript of the worthy Fray 
Antonio Agapida, who considers the extraordinary privilege of 
sitting in presence of the Catholic sovereigns an honor well worth 
fighting for. 

The good count took his seat at a short distance from the 
king, and near him was seated the duke of Najera, then the bishop 
of Palencia, then the count of Aguilar, the count Luna, and Don 
Grutierre de Cardenas, senior commander of Leon. 

On the side of the queen were seated the grand cardinal of 
Spain, the duke of Villahermosa, the count of Monte Rey, and 
the bishops of Jaen and Cuenca, each in the order in which they 
are named. The infanta Isabella was prevented, by indisposition, 
from attending the ceremony. 

And now festive music resounded through the hall, and twenty 
ladies of the queen's retinue entered, magnificently attired ; upon 
which twenty youthful cavaliers, very gay and gaillard in their 
array, stepped forth, and, each seeking his fair partner, they com- 
menced a stately dance. The court, in the mean time, (observes 
Fray Antonio Agapida,) looked on with lofty and becoming gra- 
vity. 

When the dance was concluded, the king and queen rose to 
retire to supper, and dismissed the count with many gracious ex- 
pressions. He was then attended by all the grandees present to 



HONORS TO THE VICTORS. 159 



the palace of the grand cardinal, where they partook of a sump- 
tuous banquet. 

On the following Saturday, the alcayde de los Donceles was 
received, likewise, with great honors ; but the ceremonies were so 
arranged, as to be a degree less in dignity than those shown to 
his uncle ; the latter being considered the principal actor in this 
great achievement. Thus the grand cardinal and the duke of 
Villahermosa did not meet him at the gate of the city, but re- 
ceived him in the palace, and entertained him in conversation 
until summoned to the sovereigns. 

When the alcayde de los Donceles entered the presence 
chamber, the king and queen rose from their chairs, but without 
advancing. They greeted him graciously, and commanded him 
to be seated next to the count de Cabra. 

The infanta Isabella came forth to this reception, and took 
her seat beside the queen. When the court were all seated, the 
music again sounded through the hall, and the twenty ladies 
came forth as on the preceding occasion, richly attired, but in dif- 
ferent raiment. They danced, as before ; and the infanta Isa- 
bella, taking a young Portuguese damsel for a partner, joined in 
the dance. When this was concluded, the king and queen dis- 
missed the alcayde de los Donceles with great courtesy, and the 
court broke up. 

The worthy Fray Antonio Agapida here indulges in a long 
eulogy on the scrupulous discrimination of the Castilian court, in 
the distribution of its honors and rewards, by which means every 
smile, and gesture, and word of the sovereigns, had its certain 
value, and conveyed its equivalent of joy to the heart of the sub- 
ject ; — a matter well worthy the study (says he) of all monarchs, 
who are too apt to distribute honors with a heedless caprice that 
renders them of no avail. 

On the following Sunday, both the count de Cabra and the 



160 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 









alcayde de los Donceles were invited to sup with the sovereigns. 
The court that evening was attended by the highest nobility, ar- 
rayed with that cost and splendor for which the Spanish nobility 
of those days were renowned. 

Before supper, there was a stately and ceremonious dance, 
befitting the dignity of so august a court. The king led forth 
the queen, in grave and graceful measure ; the count de Cabra 
was honored with the hand of the infanta Isabella ; and the al- 
cayde de los Donceles danced with a daughter of the marques de 
Astorga. 

The dance being concluded, the royal party repaired to the 
supper-table, which was placed on an elevated part of the saloon. 
Here, in full view of the court, the count de Cabra and the al- 
cayde de los Donceles supped at the same table with the king, 
the queen, and the infanta. The royal family were served by the 
marques of Villena. The cupbearer to the king was his nephew, 
Fadrigue de Toledo, son to the duke of Alva. Don Alexis de 
Estaniga had the honor of fulfilling that oflice for the queen, and 
Tello de Aguilar for the infanta. Other cavaliers of rank and 
distinction waited on the count and the alcayde de los Donceles. 
At one o'clock, the two distinguished guests were dismissed with 
many courteous expressions by the sovereigns. 

Such (says Fray Antonio Agapida) were the great honors paid 
at our most exalted and ceremonious court, to these renowned 
cavaliers : but the gratitude of the sovereigns did not end here. 
A few days afterwards, they bestowed upon them large revenues 
for life, and others to descend to their heirs, with the privilege for 
them and their descendants to prefix the title of Don to their 
names. They gave them, moreover, as armorial bearings, a 
Moor's head crowned, with a golden chain round the neck, in a 
sanguine field, and twenty-two banners round the margin of the 
escutcheon. Their descendants, of the houses of Cabra and Cor- 









MEMORIALS OF THE VICTORY. 161 



dova, continue to bear these arms at the present day, in memorial 
of the victory of Lucena and the capture of Boabdil el Chico.* 

* The account given by Fray Antonio Agapida of this ceremonial, so 
characteristic of the old Spanish court, agrees in almost every particular 
with an ancient manuscript, made up from the chronicles of the curate of 
los Palacios and other old Spanish writers. 



162 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

How the marques of Cadiz concerted to surprise Zahara, and the result of 

his enterprise. 

The valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of Cadiz, was one 
of the most vigilant of commanders. He kept in his pay a num- 
ber of converted Moors, to serve as adalides, or armed guides. 
These mongrel Christians were of great service, in procuring in- 
formation. Availing themselves of their Moorish character and 
tongue, they penetrated into the enemy's country, prowled about 
the castles and fortresses, noticed the state of the walls, the gates 
and towers, the strength of their garrison, and the vigilance or 
negligence of their commanders. All this they reported minutely 
to the marques, who thus knew the state of every fortress upon 
the frontier, and when it might be attacked with advantage. Be- 
side the various towns and cities over which he held feudal sway, 
he had always an armed force about him, ready for the field. A 
host of retainers fed in his hall, who were ready to follow him to 
danger and death itself, without inquiring who or why they 
fought. The armories of his castles were supplied with helms 
and cuirasses, and weapons of all kinds, ready burnished for use ; 
and his stables were filled with hardy steeds, that could stand a 
mountain scamper. 

The marques was aware that the late defeat of the Moors on 
the banks of the Lopera, had weakened their whole frontier ; for 






PROJECT FOR SURPRISING ZAHARA. 163 



many of the castles and fortresses had lost their alcaydes, and 
their choicest troops. He sent out his war-hounds, therefore, 
upon the range, to ascertain where a successful blow might be 
struck ; and they soon returned, with word that Zahara was 
weakly garrisoned and short of provisions. 

This was the very fortress, which, about two years before, had 
been stormed by Muley Abul Hassan ; and its capture had been 
the first blow of this eventful war. It had ever since remained a 
thorn in the side of Andalusia. All the Christians had been car- 
ried away captive, and no civil population had been introduced 
in their stead. There were no women or children in the place. 
It was kept up as a mere military post, commanding one of the 
most important passes of the mountains, and was a stronghold of 
Moorish marauders. The marques was animated by the idea of 
regaining this fortress for his sovereigns, and wresting from the 
old Moorish king this boasted trophy of his prowess. He sent 
missives, therefore, to the brave Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, 
who had distinguished himself in the late victory, and to Juan 
Almaraz, captain of the men-at-arms of the Holy Brotherhood, 
informing them of his designs, and inviting them to meet him 
with their forces on the banks of the G-audalete. 

It was on the day (says Fray Antonio Agapida) of the glo- 
rious apostles St. Simon and Judas, the twenty-eighth of Octo- 
ber, in the year of grace one thousand four hundred and eighty- 
three, that this chosen band of Christian soldiers assembled 
suddenly and secretly at the appointed place. Their forces, 
when united, amounted to six hundred horse and fifteen hundred 
foot. Their gathering place was at the* entrance of the defile 
leading to Zahara. That ancient town, renowned in Moorish 
warfare, is situated in one of the roughest passes of the Serra- 
nia de Ronda. It is built round the craggy cone of a hill, on the 
lofty summit of which is a strong castle. The country around 



164 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



is broken into deep barrancas or ravines, some of which ap- 
proach its very walls. The place had until recently been consi- 
dered impregnable ; but (as the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida 
observes) the walls of impregnable fortresses, like the virtue of 
self-confident saints, have their weak points of attack. 

The marques of Cadiz advanced with his little army in the 
dead of the night, marching silently into the deep and dark 
defiles of the mountains, and stealing up the ravines which ex- 
tended to the walls of the town. Their approach was so noiseless, 
that the Moorish sentinels upon the walls heard not a voice or a 
footfall. The marques was accompanied by his old escalador, 
Ortega de Prado, who had distinguished himself at the scaling o: 
Alhama. This hardy veteran was stationed, with ten men, fur- 
nished with scaling-ladders, in a cavity among the rocks, close to 
the walls. At a little distance, seventy men were hid in a ravine, 
to be at hand to second him, when he should have fixed his 
ladders. The rest of the troops were concealed in another ravine, 
commanding a fair approach to the gate of the fortress. A 
shrewd and wary adalid, well acquainted with the place, was 
appointed to give signals, and so stationed, that he could be see: 
by the various parties in ambush, but not by the garrison. 

The remainder of the night passed away in profound quiet. 
The Moorish sentinels could be heard tranquilly patrolling tb 
walls, in perfect security. The day dawned, and the rising su 
began to shine against the lofty peaks of the Serrania de Ronda. 
The sentinels looked from their battlements over a savage but 
quiet mountain country, where not a human being was stirring ; 
they little dreamt of the mischief lurking in every ravine and 
chasm of the rocks around them. Apprehending no danger o1 
surprise in broad day, the greater part of the soldiers abandone< 
the walls and towers, and descended into the city. 

By orders of the marques, a small body of light cavalry passed 



d 

I 



CAPTURE OF ZAHARA. 165 



along the glen, and, turning round a point of rock, showed them- 
selves before the town: they skirred the fields almost to the 
gates, as if by way of bravado, and to defy the garrison to a skir- 
mish. The Moors were not slow in replying to it. About 
seventy horse, and a number of foot who had guarded the walls, 
sallied forth impetuously, thinking to make easy prey of these in- 
solent marauders. The Christian hosemen fled for the ravine ; 
the Moors pursued them down the hill, until they heard a great 
shouting and tumult behind them. Looking round towards the 
town, they beheld a scaling party mounting the walls sword in 
hand. Wheeling about, they galloped for the gate ; the marques 
of Cadiz and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero rushed forth at the 
same time with their ambuscade, and endeavored to cut them off; 
but the Moors succeeded in throwing themselves within the walls. 
While Puerto Carrero stormed at the gate, the marques put 
spurs to his horse and galloped to the support of Ortega de 
Prado and his scaling party. He arrived at a moment of immi- 
nent peril, when the party was assailed by fifty Moors, armed 
with cuirasses and lances, who were on the point of thrusting 
them from the walls. The marques sprang from his horse, 
mounted a ladder, sword in hand, followed by a number of his 
troops, and made a vigorous attack upon the enemy.* They were 
soon driven from the walls, and the gates and towers remained in 
possession of the Christians. The Moors defended themselves 
for a short time in the streets, but at length took refuge in the 
castle, the walls of which were strong, and capable of holding out 
until relief should arrive. The marques had no desire to carry 
on a siege, and he had not provisions sufficient for many prisoners ; 
he granted them, therefore, favorable terms. They were per- 
mitted, on leaving their arms behind them, to march out with as 

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 68. 



166 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



much of their effects as they could carry ; and it was stipulated 
that they should pass over to Barbary. The marques remained 
in the place until both town and castle were put in a perfect state 
of defence, and strongly garrisoned. 

Thus did Zahara return once more in possession of the Chris- 
tians, to the great confusion of old Muley Abul Hassan, who, 
having paid the penalty of his ill-timed violence, was now de- 
prived of its vaunted fruits. The Castilian sovereigns were so 
gratified by this achievement of the valiant Ponce de Leon, that 
they authorized him thenceforth to entitle himself duke of Cadiz 
and marques of Zahara. The warrior, however, was so proud of 
the original title, under which he had so often signalized himself, 
that he gave it the precedence, and always signed himself mar- 
ques, duke of Cadiz. As the reader may have acquired the same 
predilection, we shall continue to call him by his ancient title. 



FORTRESS OF ALHAMA. 167 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Of the fortress of Alhama, and how wisely it was governed by the 
Count de Tendilla. 

In this part of his chronicle, the worthy father Fray Antonio 
Agapida indulges in triumphant exultation over the downfall of 
Zahara : Heaven sometimes speaks (says he) through the mouths 
of false prophets, for the confusion of the wicked. By the fall of 
this fortress was the prediction of the santon of Granada in some 
measure fulfilled, that u the ruins of Zahara should fall upon the 
heads of the infidels." 

Our zealous chronicler scoffs at the Moorish alcayde, who lost 
his fortress by surprise in broad daylight ; and contrasts the vigi- 
lance of the Christian governor of Alhama, the town taken in re- 
taliation for the storming of Zahara. 

The important post of Alhama was at this time confided by 
king Ferdinand to Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, count of Ten- 
dilla, a cavalier of noble blood, brother to the grand cardinal of 
Spain. He had been instructed by the king, not merely to main- 
tain his post, but also to make sallies and lay waste the sur- 
rounding country. His fortress was critically situated. It was 
within seven leagues of Granada, and at no great distance from 
the warlike city of Loxa. It was nestled in the lap of the moun- 
tains, commanding the high-road to Malaga and a view over the 
extensive vega. Thus situated, in the heart of the enemy's 



168 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



country, surrounded by foes ready to assail him, and a rich 
country for him to ravage, it behooved this cavalier to be for ever 
on the alert. He was in fact an experienced veteran, a shrewd 
and wary officer, and a commander amazingly prompt and fertile 
in expedients. 

On assuming the command, he found that the garrison con- 
sisted but of one thousand men, horse and foot. They were 
hardy troops, seasoned in rough mountain campaigning, but reck- 
less and dissolute, as soldiers are apt to be when accustomed to 
predatory warfare. They would fight hard for booty, and then 
gamble it heedlessly away, or squander it in licentious revelling. 
Alhama abounded with hawking, sharping, idle hangers-on, eager 
to profit by the vices and follies of the garrison. The soldiers 
were oftener gambling and dancing beneath the walls, than keep- 
ing watch upon the battlements ; and nothing was heard, from 
morning till night, but the noisy contest of cards and dice, 
mingled with the sound of the bolero or fandango, the drowsy 
strumming of the guitar, and the rattling of the castanets ; while 
often the whole was interrupted by the loud brawl, and fierce and 
bloody contest. 

The count of Tendilla set himself vigorously to reform these 
excesses ; he knew that laxity of morals is generally attended by 
neglect of duty, and that the least breach of discipline in the ex- 
posed situation of his fortress might be fatal. " Here is but a 
handful of men," said he ; " it is necessary that each man should 
be a hero." 

He endeavored to awaken a proper ambition in the minds of 
his soldiers, and to instil into them the high principles of chiv- 
alry. " A just war," he observed, " is often rendered wicked and 
disastrous by the manner in which it is conducted ; for the right- 
eousness of the cause is not sufficient to sanction the profligacy 
of the means, and the want of order and subordination among 









THE COUNT OF TENDILLA. 169 



the troops may bring ruin and disgrace upon the best concerted 
plans." But we cannot describe the character and conduct of this 
renowned commander in more forcible language than that of Fray 
Antonio Agapida, excepting that the pious father places in the 
foreground of his virtues his hatred of the Moors. u The count 
de Tendilla," says he, " was a mirror of Christian knighthood — 
watchful, abstemious, chaste, devout, and thoroughly filled with 
the spirit of the cause. He labored incessantly and strenuously 
for the glory of the faith, and the prosperity of their most 
Catholic majesties ; and, above all, he hated the infidels with 
a pure and holy hatred. This worthy cavalier discountenanced 
all idleness, rioting, chambering, and wantonness, among his sol- 
diery. He kept them constantly to the exercise of arms, making 
them adroit in the use of their weapons and management of their 
steeds, and prompt for the field at a moment's notice. He per- 
mitted no sound of lute or harp, or song, or other loose minstrelsy, 
to be heard in his fortress, debauching the ear and softening the 
valor of the soldier ; no other music was allowed but the whole- 
some rolling of the drum and braying of the trumpet, and such 
like spirit-stirring instruments as fill the mind with thoughts of 
iron war. All wandering minstrels, sharping pedlers, sturdy 
trulls, and other camp trumpery, were ordered to pack up their 
baggage, and were drummed out of the gates of Alhama. In 
place of such lewd rabble, he introduced a train of holy friars to 
inspirit his people by exhortation, and prayer, and choral chant- 
ing, and to spur them on to fight the good fight of faith. All 
games of chance were prohibited, except the game of war ; and 
this he labored, by vigilance and vigor, 4o reduce to a game of 
certainty. Heaven smiled upon the efforts of this righteous cav- 
alier. His men became soldiers at all points, and terrors to the 
Moors. The good count never set forth on a ravage, without ob- 
serving the rites of confession, absolution, and communion, and 
8 



170 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



obliging his followers to do the same. Their banners were blessed 
by the holy friars whom he maintained in Alhama ; and in this 
way success was secured to his arms, and he was enabled to lay 
waste the land of the heathen. 

The fortress of Alhama (continues Fray Antonio Agapida) 
overlooked from its lofty site a great part of the fertile vega, 
watered by the Cazin and the Xenel ; from this he made frequent 
sallies, sweeping away the flocks and herds from the pasture, the 
laborer from the field, and the convoy from the road ; so that it 
was said by the Moors, that a beetle could not crawl across the 
vega without being seen by count Tendilla. The peasantry, 
therefore, were fain to betake themselves to watchtowers and for- 
tified hamlets, where they shut up their cattle, garnered their 
corn, and sheltered their wives and children. Even there they 
were not safe ; the count would storm these rustic fortresses with 
fire and sword ; make captives of their inhabitants ; carry off the 
corn, the oil, the silks, and cattle ; and leave the ruins blazing 
and smoking, within the very sight of Granada. 

" It was a pleasing and refreshing sight," continues the good 
father, " to behold this pious knight and his followers returning 
from one of these crusades, leaving the rich land of the infidel in 
smoking desolation behind them ; to behold the long line of 
mules and asses, laden with the plunder of the Gentiles — the 
hosts of captive Moors, men, women, and children — droves of 
sturdy beeves, lowing kine, and bleating sheep ; all winding up 
the steep acclivity to the gates of Alhama, pricked on by the 
Catholic soldiery. His garrison thus thrived on the fat of the 
land and the spoil of the infidel ; nor was he unmindful of the 
pious fathers, whose blessings crowned his enterprises with suc- 
cess. A large portion of the spoil was always dedicated to the 
church ; and the good friars were ever ready at the gate to hail 
him on his return, and receive the share allotted them. Beside 









DEFENCE OF ALHAMA. 171 



these allotments, he made many votive offerings, either in time of 
peril or on the eve of a foray ; and the chapels of Alhama were 
resplendent with chalices, crosses, and other precious gifts made 
by this Catholic cavalier." 

Thus eloquently does the venerable Fray Antonio Agapida 
dilate in praise of the good count de Tendilla ; and other histo- 
rians of equal veracity, but less unction, agree in pronouncing him 
one of the ablest of Spanish generals. So terrible in fact did he 
become in the land, that the Moorish peasantry could not venture 
a league from Granada or Loxa to labor in the fields, without 
peril of being carried into captivity. The people of Granada 
clamored against Muley Abul Hassan, for suffering his lands to 
be thus outraged and insulted, and demanded to have this bold 
marauder shut up in his fortress. The old monarch was roused 
by their remonstrances. He sent forth powerful troops of horse, 
to protect the country, during the season that the husbandmen 
were abroad in the fields. These troops patrolled in formidable 
squadrons in the neighborhood of Alhama, keeping strict watch 
upon its gates ; so that it was impossible for the Christians to 
make a sally, without being seen and intercepted. 

While Alhama was thus blockaded by a roving force of Moor- 
ish cavalry, the inhabitants were awakened one night by a tre- 
mendous crash, that shook the fortress to its foundations. The 
garrison flew to arms, supposing it some assault of the enemy. 
The alarm proved to have been caused by the rupture of a por- 
tion of the wall, which, undermined by heavy rains, had suddenly 
given way, leaving a large chasm yawning towards the plain. 

The count de Tendilla was for a time in great anxiety. 
Should this breach be discovered by the blockading horsemen, 
they would arouse the country, Granada and Loxa would pour 
out an overwhelming force, and they would find his walls ready 
sapped for an assault. In this fearful emergency, the count dis- 



172 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



played his noted talent for expedients. He ordered a quantity 
of linen cloth to be stretched in front of the breach, painted in 
imitation of stone, and indented with battlements, so as at a dis- 
tance to resemble the other parts of the walls : behind this screen 
he employed workmen, day and night, in repairing the fracture. 
No one was permitted to leave the fortress, lest information of 
its defenceless plight should be carried to the Moor. Light 
squadrons of the enemy were seen hovering about the plain, but 
never approached near enough to discover the deception ; and 
thus, in the course of a few days, the wall was rebuilt stronger 
than before. 

There was another expedient of this shrewd veteran, which 
greatly excites the marvel of Agapida. " It happened," he ob- 
serves, " that this Catholic cavalier at one time was destitute of 
gold and silver, wherewith to pay the wages of his troops ; and 
the soldiers murmured greatly, seeing that they had not the 
means of purchasing necessaries from the people of the town. 
In this dilemma, what does this most sagacious commander ? He 
takes me a number of little morsels of paper, on the which he 
inscribes various sums, large and small, according to the nature 
of the case, and signs me them with his own hand and name. 
These did he give to the soldiery, in earnest of their pay. 
i How !' you will say, i are soldiers to be paid with scraps of 
paper V Even so, I answer, and well paid too, as I will pres- 
ently make manifest : for the good count issued a proclamation, 
ordering the inhabitants of Alhama to take these morsels of pa- 
per for the full amount thereon inscribed, promising to redeem 
them at a future time with silver and gold, and threatening severe 
punishment to all who should refuse. The people, having full 
confidence in his word, and trusting that he would be as willing 
to perform the one promise as he certainly was able to perform the 
other, took those curious morsels of paper without hesitation or 



ADROIT DEVICE— PAPER MONEY. 173 



demur. Thus, by a subtle and most miraculous kind of alchymy, 
did this Catholic cavalier turn worthless paper into precious gold, 
and make his late impoverished garrison abound in money !" 

It is but just to add, that the count de Tendilla redeemed his 
promises, like a loyal knight ; and this miracle as it appeared in 
the eyes of Fray Antonio Agapida, is the first instance on record 
of paper money, which has since inundated the civilized world 
with unbounded opulence. 



174 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Foray of Christian Knights into the territory of the Moors. 

The Spanish cavaliers who had survived the memorable massacre 
among the mountains of Malaga, although they had repeatedly 
avenged the death of their companions, could not forget the 
horror and humiliation of their defeat. Nothing would satisfy 
them but a second expedition of the kind, to earry fire and sword 
throughout a wide part of the Moorish territories, and leave the 
region which had triumphed in their disaster a black and burning 
monument of their vengeance. Their wishes accorded with the 
policy of the king, to destroy the resources of the enemy ; every 
assistance was therefore given to their enterprise. 

In the spring of 1484, the ancient city of Antiquera again 
resounded with arms ; numbers of the same cavaliers who had 
assembled there so gayly the preceding year, came wheeling into 
the gates with their steeled and shining warriors, but with a more 
dark and solemn brow than on that disastrous occasion, for they 
had the recollection of their slaughtered friends present to their 
minds, whose deaths they were to avenge. 

In a little while there was a chosen force of six thousand 
horse and twelve thousand foot assembled in Antiquera, many of 
them the very flower of Spanish chivalry, troops of the established 
military and religious orders, and of the Holy Brotherhood. 






ANOTHER FORAY AGAINST THE MOORS. 175 



Precautions had been taken to furnish this army with all 
things needful for its perilous inroad. Numerous surgeons ac- 
companied it, who were to attend upon the sick and wounded 
without charge, being paid for their services by the queen. Isa- 
bella, also, in her considerate humanity, provided six spacious 
tents furnished with beds and all things needful for the wounded 
and infirm. These continued to be used in all great expeditions 
throughout the war, and were called the Queen's Hospital. The 
worthy father, Fray Antonio Agapida, vaunts this benignant pro- 
vision of the queen, as the first introduction of a regular camp 
hospital in campaigning service. 

Thus thoroughly prepared, the cavaliers issued forth from 
Antiquera in splendid and terrible array, but with less exulting 
confidence and vaunting ostentation than on their former foray ; 
and this was the order of the army. Don Alonzo de Aguilar led 
the advance guard, accompanied by Don Diego Fernandez de 
Cordova, the alcayde de los Donceles, and Luis Fernandez Puerto 
Carrero, count of Palma, with their household troops. They 
were followed by Juan de Merlo, Juan de Almara, and Carlos de 
Biezman, of the Holy Brotherhood, with the men-at-arms of their 
captaincies. 

The second battalion was commanded by the marques of Ca- 
diz and the Master of Santiago, with the cavaliers of Santiago 
and the troops of the house of Ponce Leon ; with these also went 
the senior commander of Calatrava and the knights of that order, 
and various other cavaliers and their retainers. 

The right wing of this second battalion was led by Gonsalvo 
de Cordova, afterwards renowned as grand captain of Spain ; the 
left by Diego Lopez de Avila. They were accompanied by seve- 
ral distinguished cavaliers, and certain captains of the Holy Bro- 
therhood, with their men-at-arms. 

The duke of Medina Sidonia, and the count de Cabra, com- 



176 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



manded the third battalion, with the troops of their respective 
houses. They were accompanied by other commanders of note, 
with their forces. 

The rear-guard was brought up by the senior commander and 
knights of Alcantara, followed by the Andalusian chivalry from 
Xerez, Ecija, and Carmona. 

Such was the army that issued forth from the gates of Anti- 
quera, on one of the most extensive talas, or devastating inroads, 
that ever laid waste the kingdom of Granada. 

The army entered the Moorish territory by the way of Alora, 
destroying all the cornfields, vineyards, and orchards, and planta- 
tions of olives, round that city. It then proceeded through the 
rich valleys and fertile uplands of Coin, Cazarabonela, Almexia, 
and Cartama ; and in ten days, all those fertile regions were a 
smoking and frightful desert. Hence it pursued its slow and de- 
structive course, like the stream of lava of a volcano, through the 
regions of Pupiana and Alhendin, and so on to the vega of Ma- 
laga, laying waste the groves of olives and almonds, and the fields 
of grain, and destroying every green thing. The Moors of some 
of those places interceded in vain for their groves and fields, 
oifering to deliver up their Christian captives. One part of the 
army blockaded the towns, while the other ravaged the surround- 
ing country. Sometimes the Moors sallied forth desperately to 
defend their property, but were driven back to their gates with 
slaughter, and their suburbs pillaged and burnt. It was an awful 
spectacle at night to behold the volumes of black smoke mingled 
with lurid flames rising from the burning suburbs, and the women 
on the walls of the town wringing their hands and shrieking at 
the desolation of their dwellings. 

The destroying army, on arriving at the sea-coast, found ves- 
sels lying off shore laden with all kinds of provisions and muni- 
tions sent from Seville and Xeres, and was thus enabled to con- 



CAPTURE OF ALORA. 177 



tinue its desolating career. Advancing to the neighborhood of 
Malaga, it was bravely assailed by the Moors of that city, and 
there was severe skirmishing for a whole day ; but while the 
main part of the army encountered the enemy, the rest ravaged 
the whole vega and destroyed all the mills. As the object of the 
expedition was not to capture places, but merely to burn, ravage, 
and destroy, the host, satisfied with the mischief they had done in 
the vega, turned their backs upon Malaga, and again entered the 
mountains. They passed by Coin, and through the regions of 
Allazayna, and Gatero, and Alhaurin ; all which were likewise 
desolated. In this way did they make the circuit of a chain of 
rich and verdant valleys, the glory of those mountains and the 
pride and delight of the Moors. For forty days did they conti- 
nue on like a consuming fire, leaving a smoking and howling 
waste to mark their course, until, weary with the work of destruc- 
tion, and having fully sated their revenge for the massacre of the 
Axarquia, they returned in triumph to the meadows of An- 
tiques. 

In the month of June, king Ferdinand took command in per- 
son of this destructive army ; he increased its force, and added to 
its means of mischief several lombards and other heavy artillery, 
intended for the battering of towns, and managed by engineers 
from France and Germany. With these, the marques of Cadiz 
assured the king, he would soon be able to reduce the Moorish 
fortresses, which were only calculated for defence against the 
engines anciently used in warfare. Their walls and towers were 
high and thin, depending for security on their rough and rocky 
situations. The stone and iron balls thundered from the lom- 
bards would soon tumble them in ruins upon the heads of their 
defenders. 

The fate of Alora speedily proved the truth of this opinion. 
It was strongly posted on a rock washed by a river. The artil- 
8* 



178 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



lery soon battered down two of the towers and a part of the wall. 
The Moors were thrown into consternation at the vehemence of 
the assault, and the effect of those tremendous engines upon their 
vaunted bulwarks. The roaring of the artillery and the tum- 
bling of the walls terrified the women, who beset the alcayde with 
vociferous supplications to surrender. The place was given up 
on the 20th of June, on condition that the inhabitants might de- 
part with their effects. The people of Malaga, as yet unac- 
quainted with the power of this battering ordnance, were so in- 
censed at those of Alora for what they considered a tame sur- 
render, that they would not admit them into their city. 

A similar fate attended the town of Setenil, built on a lofty 
rock and esteemed impregnable. Many times had it been be- 
sieged under former Christian kings, but never taken. Even 
now, for several days the artillery was directed against it with- 
out effect, and many of the cavaliers murmured at the marques 
of Cadiz for having counselled the king to attack this unconquer- 
able place.* 

On the same night that these reproaches were uttered, the 
marques directed the artillery himself: he levelled the lombards 
at the bottom of the walls, and at the gates. In a little while, 
the gates were battered to pieces, a great breach was effected in 
the walls, and the Moors were fain to capitulate. Twenty-four 
Christian captains, who had been taken in the defeat of the moun- 
tains of Malaga, were rescued from the dungeons of this fortress, 
and hailed the marques as their deliverer. 

Needless is it to mention the capture of various other places, 
which surrendered without waiting to be attacked. The Moors 
had always shown great bravery and perseverance in defending 
their towns ; they were formidable in their sallies and skirmishes, 






* Cura de los Palaoios. 






TRIUMPHAL RETURN OF FERDINAND. 179 



and patient in enduring hunger and thirst when besieged ; but 
this terrible ordnance, which demolished their walls with such 
ease and rapidity, overwhelmed them with dismay, and rendered 
vain all resistance. King Ferdinand was so struck with the 
effect of this artillery, that he ordered the number of lombards to 
be increased ; and these potent engines had henceforth a great 
influence on the fortunes of this war. 

The last operation of this year, so disastrous to the Moors, 
was an inroad by Ferdinand, in the latter part of summer, into 
the vega, in which he ravaged the country, burnt two villages 
near to Granada, and destroyed the mills near the very gates of 
the city. 

Old Muley Abul Hassan was overwhelmed with dismay at the 
desolation, which, during the whole year, had raged throughout 
his territories, and had now reached the walls of his capital. His 
fierce spirit was broken by misfortunes and infirmity ; he offered 
to purchase a peace, and to hold his crown as a tributary vassal. 
Ferdinand would listen to no propositions : the absolute conquest 
of Granada was the great object of this war, and he was resolved 
never to rest content without its complete fulfilment. Having 
supplied and strengthened the garrisons of the places taken in 
the heart of the Moorish territories, he enjoined their commanders 
to render every assistance to the younger Moorish king, in the 
civil war against his father. He then returned with his army to 
Cordova, in great triumph, closing a series of ravaging campaigns, 
which had filled the kingdom of Granada with grief and conster- 
nation. 



180 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXVIIL 

Attempt of El Zagal to surprise Boabdil in Almeria. 

During this year of sorrow and disaster to the Moors, the 
younger king Boabdil, most truly called the unfortunate, held a 
diminished and feeble court in the maritime city of Almeria. 
He retained little more than the name of king, and was supported 
in even this shadow of royalty, by the countenance and treasures 
of the Castilian sovereigns. Still he trusted, that, in the fluctua- 
tion of events, the inconstant nation might once more return to 
his standard, and replace him on the throne of the Alhambra. 

His mother, the high-spirited sultana Ayxa la Horra, endea- 
vored to rouse him from this passive state. " It is a feeble mind," 
said she, " that waits for the turn of fortune's wheel ; the brave 
mind seizes upon it, and turns it to its purpose. Take the field, 
and you may drive danger before you ; remain cowering at home, 
and it besieges you in your dwelling. By a bold enterprise, you 
may regain your splendid throne in Granada ; by passive forbear- 
ance, you will forfeit even this miserable throne in Almeria." 

Boabdil had not the force of soul to follow these courageous 
counsels, and in a little time the evils his mother had predicted 
fell upon him. 

Old Muley Abul Hassan was almost extinguished by age and 
paralysis. He had nearly lost his sight, and was completely bed- 






ATTEMPT TO SURPRISE BOABDIL. 181 



ridden. His brother, Abdallah, surnamed El Zagal, or the vali- 
ant, the same who had assisted in the massacre of the Spanish 
chivalry among the mountains of Malaga, was commander-in-chief 
of the Moorish armies, and gradually took upon himself most of 
the cares of sovereignty. Among other things, he was particu- 
larly zealous in espousing his brother's quarrel with his son ; and 
he prosecuted it with such vehemence, that many affirmed there 
was something more than mere fraternal sympathy at the bottom 
of his zeal. 

The disasters and disgraces inflicted on the country by the 
Christians during this year, had wounded the national feelings of 
the people of Almeria ; and many felt indignant that Boabdil 
should remain passive at such a time, or rather, should appear to 
make a common cause with the enemy. His uncle Abdallah, 
diligently fomented this feeling, by his agents. The same arts 
were made use of, that had been successful in Granada. Boabdil 
was secretly but actively denounced by the alfaquis, as an apos- 
tate, leagued with the Christians against his country and his early 
faith ; the affections of the populace and soldiery were gradually 
alienated from him, and a deep conspiracy concerted for his des- 
truction. 

In the month of February, 1485, El Zagal suddenly appeared 
before Almeria, at the head of a troop of horse. The alfaquis 
were prepared for his arrival, and the gates were thrown open to 
him. He entered with his band, and galloped to the citadel. 
The alcayde would have made resistance ; but the garrison put 
him to death, and received El Zagal with acclamations. The 
latter rushed through the apartments of the Alcazar, but he 
sought in vain for Boabdil. He found the sultana Ayxa la Horra 
in one of the saloons, with Aben Haxig, a younger brother of the 
monarch, and several Abencerrages, who rallied round them to 
protect them. "Where is the traitor Boabdil?" exclaimed El 



182 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Zagal. "I know no traitor more perfidious than thyself," ex- 
claimed the intrepid sultana ; " and I trust my son is in safety, to 
take vengeance on thy treason." The rage of El Zagal was 
without bounds, when he learnt that his intended victim had 
escaped. In his fury he slew the prince Aben Haxig, and his 
followers fell upon and massacred the Abencerrages. As to the 
proud sultana, she was borne away prisoner, and loaded with re- 
vilings, as having upheld her son in his rebellion, and fomented a 
civil war. 

The unfortunate Boabdil had been apprised of his danger by 
a faithful soldier, just in time to make his escape. Throwing 
himself on one of his fleetest horses, and followed by a handful of 
adherents, he galloped in the confusion out of the gates of Alme- 
ria. Several of the cavalry of El Zagal, stationed without the 
walls, perceived his flight, and attempted to pursue him ; their 
horses were jaded with travel, and he soon left them far behind. 
But, whither was he to fly ? Every fortress and castle in the 
kingdom of Granada was closed against him ; he knew not whom 
among the Moors to trust, for they had been taught to detest him 
as a traitor and an apostate. He had no alternative but to seek 
refuge among the Christians, his hereditary enemies. With a 
heavy heart, he turned his horse's head towards Cordova. He 
had to lurk, like a fugitive, through a part of his own dominions ; 
nor did he feel himself secure, until he had passed the frontier, 
and beheld the mountain barrier of his country towering behind 
him. Then it was that he became conscious of his . humiliating 
state — a fugitive from his throne, an outcast from his nation, a 
king without a kingdom. He smote his breast, in an agony of 
grief : u Evil indeed," exclaimed he, " was the day of my birth, 
and truly was I named El Zogoybi, the unlucky." 

He entered the gates of Cordova with downcast countenance, 
and with a train of but forty followers The sovereigns were 






SYMPATHY FOR THE FALLEN KING. 183 



absent ; but the cavaliers of Andalusia manifested that sympathy 
in the misfortunes of the monarch which becomes men of lofty 
and chivalrous souls. They received him with great distinction, 
attended him with the utmost courtesy, and he was honorably 
entertained by the civil and military commanders of that ancient 
city. 

In the mean time, El Zagal put a new alcayde over Almeria, 
to govern in the name of his brother ; and, having strongly gar- 
risoned the place, repaired to Malaga, where an attack of the 
Christians was apprehended. The young monarch being driven 
out of the land, and the old monarch blind and bedridden, El 
Zagal, at the head of the armies, was virtually the sovereign of 
Granada. He was supported by the brave and powerful family 
of the Alnayans and Yenegas ; the people were pleased with 
having a new idol to look up to, and a new name to shout forth ; 
and El Zagal was hailed with acclamations, as the main hope of 
the nation. 



184 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

How king Ferdinand commenced another campaign against the Moors, and 
how he laid siege to Coin and Cartama. 

The recent effect of the battering ordnance in demolishing the 
Moorish fortresses, induced king Ferdinand to procure a power- 
ful train for the campaign of 1485, intending to assault some of 
the most formidable holds of the enemy. An army of nine thou- 
sand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry assembled at Cordova, 
early in the spring ; and the king took the field on the 5th of 
April. It had been determined in secret council, to attack the 
city of Malaga, that ancient and important seaport, on which 
Granada depended for foreign aid and supplies. It was thought 
proper previously, however, to get possession of various towns 
and fortresses in the valleys of Santa Maria and Cartama, 
through which pass the roads to Malaga. 

The first place assailed was the town of Benamexi or Bona- 
meji. It had submitted to the Catholic sovereigns in the pre- 
ceding year, but had since renounced its allegiance. King Fer- 
dinand was enraged at the rebellion of the inhabitants. " I will 
make their punishment," said he, " a terror to others : they shall 
, be loyal through force, if not through faith." The place was 
carried by storm : one hundred and eight of the principal inhab- 
itants were either put to the sword or hanged on the battlements ; 
the rest were carried into captivity.* 

* Pulgar, Garibay. Cura de los Palacios. 



SIEGE OF COIN AND CARTAMA. 185 



The towns of Coin and Cartama were besieged on the same 
day ; the first by a division of the army led on by the marques 
of Cadiz, the second by another division commanded by Don 
Alonzo de Aguilar and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, the 
brave senior of Palma. The king, with the rest of the army, re- 
mained posted between the two places, to render assistance to 
either division. The batteries opened upon both places at the 
same time, and the thunder of the lombards was mutually heard 
from one camp to the other. The Moors made frequent sallies 
and a valiant defence ; but they were confounded by the tremen- 
dous uproar of the batteries, and the destruction of their walls. 
In the mean time, the alarm -fires gathered together the Moorish 
mountaineers of all the Serrania, who assembled in great num- 
bers in the city of Monda, about a league from Coin. They 
made several attempts to enter the besieged town, but in vain : 
they were each time intercepted and driven back by the Chris- 
tians, and were reduced to gaze at a distance in despair on the 
destruction of the place. While thus situated, there rode one 
day into Monda a fierce and haughty Moorish chieftain, at the 
head of a band of swarthy African horsemen : it was Hamet el 
Zegri, the fiery spirited alcayde of Ronda, at the head of his band 
of G-omeres. He had not yet recovered from the rage and morti- 
fication of his defeat on the banks of the Lopera, in the disastrous 
foray of old Bexir, when he had been obliged to steal back fur- 
tively to his mountains, with the loss of the bravest of his follow- 
ers. He had ever since panted for revenge. He now rode among 
the host of warriors assembled at Monda. " Who among you," 
cried he, " feels pity for the women and children of Coin, ex- 
posed to captivity and death % Whoever he is, let him follow me, 
who am ready to die as a Moslem for the relief of Moslems." So 
saying, he seized a white banner, and, waving it over his head, 
rode forth from the town, followed by the Gomeres. Many of 



186 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 









the warriors, roused by his words and his example, spurred reso- 
lutely after his banner. The people of Coin, being prepared for 
this attempt, sallied forth as they saw the white banner, and made 
an attack upon the Christian camp ; and in the confusion of the 
moment, Hamet and his followers galloped into the gates. This 
reinforcement animated the besieged, and Hamet exhorted them 
to hold out obstinately in defence of life and town. As the G-o- 
meres were veteran warriors, the more they were attacked the 
harder they fought. 

At length, a great breach was made in the walls, and Ferdi- 
nand, who was impatient of the resistance of the place, ordered 
the duke of Naxara and the count of Benavente to enter with 
their troops ; and as their forces were not sufficient, he sent word 
to Luis de Cerda, duke of Medina Celi, to send a part of his peo- 
ple to their assistance. 

The feudal pride of the duke was roused at this demand. 
" Tell my lord the king," said the haughty grandee, " that I have 
come to succor him with my household troops : if my people are 
ordered to any place, I am to go with them ; but if I am to re- 
main in the camp, my people must remain with me. For the 
troops cannot serve without their commander, nor their com- 
mander without his troops." 

The reply of the high-spirited grandee perplexed the cautious 
Ferdinand, who knew the jealous pride of his powerful nobles. 
In the mean time, the people of the camp, having made all prepa- 
rations for the assault, were impatient to be led forward. Upon 
this, Pero Ruyz de Alarcon put himself at their head, and, seizing 
their mantas, or portable bulwarks, and their other defences, they 
made a gallant assault, and fought their way in at the breach. 
The Moors were so overcome by the fury of their assault, that 
they retreated, fighting, to the square of the town. Pero Ruyz 
de Alarcon thought the place was carried, when suddenly Hamet 






CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE CHRISTIANS. 187 



and his Gomeres came scouring through the streets with wild 
war-cries, and fell furiously upon the Christians. The latter 
were in their turn beaten back, and, while attacked in front by 
the Gomeres, were assailed by the inhabitants with all kinds of 
missiles from their roofs and windows. They at length gave way 
and retreated through the breach. Pero Ruyz de Alarcon still 
maintained his ground in one of the principal streets — the few 
cavaliers that stood by him urged him to fly : " No," said he ; "I 
came here to fight, and not to fly." He was presently surrounded 
by the Gomeres ; his companions fled for their lives ; the last 
they saw of him, he was covered with wounds, but still fighting 
desperately for the fame of a good cavalier.* 

The resistance of the inhabitants, though aided by the valor 
of the Gomeres, was of no avail. The battering artillery of the 
Christians demolished their walls ; combustibles thrown into 
their town, set it on fire in various places ; and they were at 
length compelled to capitulate. They were permitted to depart 
with their effects, and the Gomeres with their arms. Hamet el 
Zegri and his African band rode proudly through the Christian 
camp ; nor could the Spanish cavaliers refrain from regarding 
with admiration that haughty warrior and his devoted and daunt- 
less followers. 

The capture of Coin was accompanied by that of Cartama : 
the fortifications of the latter were repaired and garrisoned ; but 
Coin, being too extensive to be defended by a moderate force, its 
walls were demolished. The siege of these places struck such 
terror into the surrounding country, that the Moors of many of 
the neighboring towns abandoned their homes, and fled with such 
of their effects as they could carry away ; upon which the king 
gave orders to demolish their walls and towers. 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 42. 



188 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



King Ferdinand now left his camp and his heavy artillery 
near Cartama, and proceeded with his lighter troops to recon- 
noitre Malaga. By this time, the secret plan of attack, arranged 
in the council of war at Cordova, was known to all the world. 
The vigilant warrior, El Zagal, had thrown himself into the 
place, put all the fortifications, which were of vast strength, into 
a state of defence, and sent orders to the alcaydes of the moun- 
tain towns, to hasten with their forces to his assistance. 

The very day that Ferdinand appeared before the place, El 
Zagal sallied forth to receive him, at the head of a thousand 
cavalry, the choicest warriors of Granada. A sharp skirmish 
took place among the gardens and olive trees near the city. 
Many were killed on both sides ; and this gave the Christians a 
foretaste of what they might expect, if they attempted to besiege 
the place. 

When the skirmish was over, the marques of Cadiz had a 
private conference with the king. He represented the difficulty 
of besieging Malaga with their present force, especially as their 
plans had been discovered and anticipated, and the whole country 
was marching to oppose them. The marques, who had secret in- 
telligence from all quarters, had received a letter from Juceph 
Xerife, a Moor of E-onda, of Christian lineage, apprising him of 
the situation of that important place and its garrison, which at 
that moment laid it open to attack ; and the marques was urgent 
with the king to seize upon this critical moment, and secure a 
place which was one of the most powerful Moorish fortresses on 
the frontiers, and in the hands of Hamet el Zegri had been the 
scourge of Andalusia. The good marques had another motive for 
his advice, becoming of a true and loyal knight. In the deep 
dungeons of Eonda languished several of his companions in arms, 
who had been captured in the defeat in the Axarquia. To break 
their chains, and restore them to liberty and light, he felt to be 



. 



SIEGE OF MALAGA RAISED. 189 



his peculiar duty, as one of those who had most promoted that 
disastrous enterprise. 

King Ferdinand listened to the advice of the marques. He 
knew the importance of Honda, which was considered one of the 
keys to the kingdom of Granada ; and he was disposed to punish 
the inhabitants, for the aid they had rendered to the garrison of 
Coin. The siege of Malaga, therefore, was abandoned for the 
present, and preparations made for a rapid and secret move 
against the city of Honda. 



190 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Siege of Ronda. 

The bold Hamet el Zegri, the alcayde of Honda, had returned 
sullenly to his stronghold, after the surrender of Coin. He had 
fleshed his sword in battle with the Christians, but his thirst for 
vengeance was still unsatisfied. Hamet gloried in the strength 
of his fortress, and the valor of his people. A fierce and warlike 
populace was at his command ; his signal-fires could summon all 
the warriors of the Serrania ; his Gomeres almost subsisted on 
the spoils of Andalusia ; and in the rock on which his fortress 
was built, were hopeless dungeons, filled with Christian captives, 
carried off by these warhawks of the mountains. 

Honda was considered as impregnable. It was situated in the 
heart of wild and rugged mountains, and perched upon an iso- 
lated rock, crested by a strong citadel, with triple walls and 
towers. A deep ravine, or rather a perpendicular chasm of the 
rocks, of frightful depth, surrounded three parts of the city; 
through this flowed the Rio Verde, or Green River. There were 
two suburbs to the city, fortified by walls and towers, and almost 
inaccessible, from the natural asperity of the rocks. Around this 
rugged city were deep rich valleys, sheltered by the mountains, 
refreshed by constant streams, abounding with grain and the 
most delicious fruits, and yielding verdant meadows, in which was 



INROAD OF HAMET EL ZEGRI. 191 



reared a renowned breed of horses, the best in the whole kingdom 
for a foray. 

Hamet el Zegri had scarcely returned to Ronda, when he re- 
ceived intelligence that the Christian army was marching to the 
siege of Malaga, and orders from El Zagal to send troops to his 
assistance. Hamet sent a part of his garrison for that purpose ; 
in the mean time, he meditated an expedition to which he was 
stimulated by pride and revenge. All Andalusia was now drained 
of its troops ; there was an opportunity therefore for an inroad, 
by which he might wipe out the disgrace of his defeat at the 
battle of Lopera. Apprehending no danger to his mountain city, 
now that the storm of war had passed down into the vaga of 
Malaga, he left but a remnant of his garrison to man its walls, 
and, putting himself at the head of his band of Gromeres, swept 
down suddenly into the plains of Andalusia. He careered, almost 
without resistance, over those vast campinas or pasture lands, 
which formed a part of the domains of the duke of Medina Si- 
donia. In vain the bells were rung, and the alarm-fires kindled 
— the band of Hamet had passed by, before any force could be 
assembled, and was only to be traced, like a hurricane, by the 
devastation it had made. 

Hamet regained in safety the Serrania de Ronda, exulting in 
his successful inroad. The mountain glens were filled with long 
droves of cattle and flocks of sheep, from the campinas of Medina 
Sidonia. There were mules, too, laden with the plunder of the 
villages ; and every warrior had some costly spoil of jewels, for 
his favorite mistress. 

As the Zegri drew near to Ronda, he was roused from his 
aream of triumph by the sound of heavy ordnance bellowing 
through the mountain defiles. His heart misgave him — he put 
spurs to his horse, and galloped in advance of his lagging caval- 
gada. As he proceeded, the noise of the ordnance increased. 



192 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



echoing from cliff to cliff. Spurring his horse up a craggy height 
which commanded an extensive view, he beheld, to his consterna- 
tion, the country about Honda white with the tents of a besieging 
army. The royal standard, displayed before a proud encamp- 
ment, showed that Ferdinand himself was present ; while the 
incessant blaze and thunder of artillery, and the volumes of over- 
hanging smoke, told the work of destruction that was going on. 

The royal army had succeeded in coming upon Honda by 
surprise, during the absence of its alcayde and most of its garri- 
son ; but its inhabitants were warlike, and defended themselves 
bravely, trusting that Hamet and his Gomeres would soon return 
to their assistance. 

The fancied strength of their bulwarks had been of little 
avail against the batteries of the besiegers. In the space of four 
days, three towers, and great masses of the walls which defended 
the suburbs, were battered down, and the suburbs taken and 
plundered. Lombards and other heavy ordnance were now lev- 
elled at the walls of the city, and stones and missiles of all kinds 
hurled into the streets. The very rock on which the city stood 
shook with the thunder of the artillery ; and the Christian cap- 
tives, deep within its dungeons, hailed the sound as the promise 
of deliverance. 

When Hamet el Zegri beheld his city thus surrounded and 
assailed, he called upon his men to follow him, and cut their way 
through to its relief. They proceeded stealthily through the 
mountains, until they came to the nearest heights above the 
Christian camp. When night fell, and part of the army was 
sunk in sleep, they descended the rocks, and, rushing suddenly 
upon the weakest part of the camp, endeavored to break their 
way through and gain the city. The camp was too strong to be 
forced; they were driven back to the crags of the mountains, 



SIEGE OF RONDA. 193 



whence they defended themselves by showering down darts and 
stones upon their pursuers. 

Hainet now lit alarm-fires about the heights: his standard 
was joined by the neighboring mountaineers, and by troops from 
Malaga. Thus reinforced, he made repeated assaults upon the 
Christians, cutting off all stragglers from the camp. All his 
attempts, to force his way into the city, however, were fruitless ; 
many of his bravest men were slain, and he was obliged to retreat 
into the fastnesses of the mountains. 

In the meanwhile, the distress of Ronda increased hourly. 
The marques of Cadiz, having possession of the suburbs, was 
enabled to approach to the very foot of the perpendicular pre- 
cipice rising from the river, on the summit of which the city is 
built. At the foot of this rock is a living fountain of limpid 
water, gushing into a great natural basin. A secret mine led 
down from within the city to this fountain, by several hundred 
steps cut in the solid rock. Hence the city obtained its chief 
supply of water ; and these steps were deeply worn by the weary 
feet of Christian captives, employed in this painful labor. The 
marques of Cadiz discovered this subterraneous passage, and di- 
rected his pioneers to countermine in the side of the rock ; they 
pierced to the shaft, and, stopping it up, deprived the city of the 
benefit of this precious fountain. 

While the marques was thus pressing the siege with the gen- 
erous thought of soon delivering his companions in arms from 
the Moorish dungeons, far other were the feelings of the alcayde, 
Hamet el Zegri. He smote his breast and gnashed his teeth in 
impotent fury, as he beheld from the mountain cliffs the destruc- 
tion of the city. Every thunder of the Christian ordnance 
seemed to batter against his heart. He saw tower after tower 
tumbling by day, and various parts of the city in a blaze at night. 
"They fired not merely stones from their ordnance," says a 



194 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



chronicler of the times, " but likewise great balls of iron, cast in 
moulds, which demolished every thing they struck." They threw 
also balls of tow, steeped in pitch and oil and gunpowder, which 
when once on fire, were not to be extinguished, and which set the 
houses in flames. Great was the horror of the inhabitants : they 
knew not where to fly for refuge : their houses were in a blaze, or 
shattered by the ordnance; the streets were perilous from the 
falling ruins and the bounding balls, which dashed to pieces every 
thing they encountered. At night, the city looked like a fiery 
furnace ; the cries and wailings of the women between the thunders 
of the ordnance, reached even to the Moors on the opposite moun- 
tains, who answered them by yells of fury and despair. 

All hope of external succor being at an end, the inhabitants 
of Ronda were compelled to capitulate. Ferdinand was easily 
prevailed upon to grant them favorable terms. The place was 
capable of longer resistance ; and he feared for the safety of his 
camp, as the forces were daily augmenting on the mountains, and 
making frequent assaults. The inhabitants were permitted to 
depart with their effects, either to Barbary, Granada, or else- 
where ; and those who chose to reside in Spain, had lands assigned 
them, and were indulged in the practice of their religion. 

No sooner did the place surrender, than detachments were 
sent to attack the Moors who hovered about the neighboring 
mountains. Hamet elZegri, however, did not remain to make a 
fruitless battle. He gave up the game as lost, and retreated with 
his Gomeres, filled with grief and rage, but trusting to fortune to 
give him future vengeance. 

The first care of the good marques of Cadiz, on entering 
Ronda, was to deliver his unfortunate companions in arms from 
the dungeons of the fortress. What a difference in their looks 
from the time when, flushed with health and hope, and arrayed in 
military pomp, they had sallied forth upon the mountain foray I 






RONDA SURRENDERS— TROPHIES AND CAPTIVES. 195 



Many of them were almost naked, with irons at their ankles, and 
beards reaching to their waists. Their meeting with the marques 
was joyful ; yet it had the look of grief, for their joy was mingled 
with many bitter recollections. There was an immense number 
of other captives, among whom were several young men of noble 
families, who, with filial piety, had surrendered themselves pris- 
oners in place of their fathers. 

The captives were all provided with mules, and sent to the 
queen at Cordova. The humane heart of Isabella melted at the 
sight of the piteous cavalcade. They were all supplied by her 
with food and raiment, and money to pay their expenses to their 
homes. Their chains were hung as pious trophies against the 
exterior of the church of St. Juan de los Reyes, in Toledo, where 
the Christian traveller may regale his eyes with the sight of them 
at this very day.* 

Among the Moorish captives was a young infidel maiden, of 
great beauty, who desired to become a Christian and to remain in 
Spain. She had been inspired with the light of the true faith, 
through the ministry of a young man who had been a captive in 
Ronda. He was anxious to complete his good work by marrying 
her. The queen consented to their pious wishes, having first 
taken care that the young maiden should be properly purified by 
the holy sacrament of baptism. 

" Thus this pestilent nest of warfare and infidelity, the city of 
Ronda," says the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, " was converted 
to the true faith by the thunder of our artillery — an example 
which was soon followed by Casarabonela, Marbella, and other 
towns in these parts, insomuch that in* the course of this expedi- 
tion no less than seventy-two places were rescued from the vile 
sect of Mahomet, and placed under the benignant domination of 
the cross." 

* Seen by the author in 1826. 



196 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






CHAPTER XXXI. 

How the people of Granada invited El Zagal to the throne, and how he 
marched to the capital. 

The people of Granada were a versatile, unsteady race, and ex- 
ceedingly given to make and unmake kings. They had, for a 
long time, vacillated between old Muley Abul Hassan and his 
son Boabdil el Chico ; sometimes setting up the one, sometimes 
the other, and sometimes both at once, according to the pinch 
and pressure of external evils. They found, however, that the 
evils still went on increasing, in defiance of every change, and 
were at their wits' end to devise some new combination or ar- 
rangement, by which an efficient government might be wrought 
out of two bad kings. When the tidings arrived of the fall of 
Honda, and the consequent ruin of the frontier, a tumultuous as- 
semblage took place in one of the public squares. As usual, the 
people attributed the misfortunes of the country to the faults of 
their rulers ; for the populace never imagine that any part of 
their miseries can originate with themselves. A crafty alfaqui, 
named Alyme Mazer, who had watched the current of their dis- 
contents, rose and harangued them : " You have been choosing 
and changing," said he, " between two monarchs — and who and 
what are they ? Muley Abul Hassan, for one ; a man worn out by 
age and infirmities, unable to sally forth against the foe, even 



EL ZAGAL ACCEPTS THE MOORISH CROWN. 197 



when ravaging to the very gates of the city : — and Boabdil el 
Chico, for the other ; an apostate, a traitor, a deserter from his 
throne, a fugitive among the enemies of his nation, a man fated 
to misfortune, and proverbially named i the unlucky.' In a time 
of overwhelming war, like the present, he only is fit to sway a 
sceptre who can wield a sword. Would you seek such a man ? 
You need not look far. Allah has sent such a one, in this time 
of distress, to retrieve the fortunes of Granada. You already 
know whom I mean. You know that it can be no other than 
your general, the invincible Abdallah, whose surname of El Zagal 
has become a watchword in battle, rousing the courage of the 
faithful, and striking terror into the unbelievers." 

The multitude received the words of the alfaqui with accla- 
mations ; they were delighted with the idea of a third king over 
Granada ; and Abdallah el Zagal being of the royal family, and 
already in the virtual exercise of royal power, the measure had 
nothing in it that appeared either rash or violent. A deputation 
was therefore sent to El Zagal at Malaga, inviting him to repair 
to Granada to receive the crown. 

El Zagal expressed great surprise and repugnance, when the 
mission was announced to him ; and nothing but his patriotic 
zeal for the public safety, and his fraternal eagerness to relieve 
the aged Abul Hassan from the cares of government, prevailed 
upon him to accept the offer. Leaving, therefore, Reduax Vane- 
gas, one of the bravest Moorish generals, in command of Malaga, 
he departed for Granada, attended by three hundred trusty 
cavaliers. 

Muley Abul Hassan did not wait for the arrival of his 
brother. Unable any longer to buffet with the storms of the 
times, his only solicitude was to seek some safe and quiet harbor 
of repose. In one of the deep valleys which indent the Mediter- 
ranean coast, and which are shut up on the land side by stupen- 



198 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



dous mountains, stood the little city of Almunecar. The valley 
was watered by the limpid river Frio, and abounded with fruits, 
with grain and pasturage. The city was strongly fortified, and 
the garrison and alcayde were devoted to the old monarch. This 
was the place chosen by Muley Abul Hassan for his asylum. 
His first care was to send thither all his treasures ; his next care 
was to take refuge there himself; his third, that his sultana 
Zoraya, and their two sons, should follow him. 

In the mean time, Muley Abdallah el Zagal pursued his 
journey towards the capital, attended by his three hundred cava- 
liers. The road from Malaga to Granada winds close by Alhama, 
and is dominated by that lofty fortress. This had been a most 
perilous pass for the Moors, during the time that Alhama was 
commanded by the count de Tendilla : not a traveller could 
escape his eagle eye, and his garrison was ever ready for a sally. 
The count de Tendilla, however, had been relieved from this 
arduous post, and it had been given in charge to Don G-utiere de 
Padilla, clavero, or treasurer of the order of Calatrava ; an easy, 
indulgent man, who had with him three hundred gallant knights 
of his order, besides other mercenary troops. The garrison had 
fallen off in discipline ; the cavaliers were hardy in fight and dar- 
ing in foray, but confident in themselves and negligent of proper 
precautions. Just before the journey of El Zagal, a number of 
these cavaliers, with several soldiers of fortune of the garrison, in 
all about one hundred and seventy men, had sallied forth to 
harass the Moorish country during its present distracted state, 
and, having ravaged the valleys of the Sierra Nevada, or Snowy 
Mountains, were returning to Alhama in gay spirits and laden 
with booty. 

As El Zagal passed through the neighborhood of Alhama, he 
recollected the ancient perils of the road, and sent light cerradors 
in advance, to inspect each rock and ravine where a foe might 






EL ZAGAL SURPRISES THE CAVALIERS. 199 



lurk in ambush. One of these scouts, overlooking a narrow val- 
ley which opened upon the road, descried a troop of horsemen 
on the banks of a little stream. They were dismounted, and had 
taken the bridles from their steeds, that they might crop the 
fresh grass on the banks of the river. The horsemen were scat- 
tered about, some reposing in the shades of rocks and trees, 
others gambling for the spoil they had taken : not a sentinel was 
posted to keep guard ; every thing showed the perfect security of 
men who consider themselves beyond the reach of danger. 

These careless cavaliers were in fact the knights of Calatrava, 
returning from their foray. A part of their force had passed on 
with the cavalgada ; ninety of the principal cavaliers had halted 
to refresh themselves in this valley. El Zagal smiled with fero- 
cious joy, when he heard of their negligent security. " Here 
will be trophies," said he, " to grace our entrance into Granada." 

Approaching the valley with cautious silence, he wheeled into 
it at full speed at the head of his troop, and attacked the Chris- 
tians so suddenly, that they had not time to put the bridles upon 
their horses, or even to leap into the saddles. They made a con- 
fused but valiant defence, fighting among the rocks, and . in the 
rugged bed of the river. Their defence was useless ; seventy- 
nine were slain, and the remaining eleven were taken prisoners. 

A party of the Moors galloped in pursuit of the cavalgada : 
they soon overtook it, winding slowly up a hill. The horsemen 
who conveyed it, perceiving the enemy at a distance, made their 
escape, and left the spoil to be retaken by the Moors. El Zagal 
gathered together his captives and his booty, and proceeded, elate 
with success, to Granada. 

He paused before the gate of Elvira, for as yet he had not 
been proclaimed king. This ceremony was immediately per- 
formed ; for the fame of his recent exploit had preceded him, and 
intoxicated the minds of the giddy populace. He entered Gra- 



200 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






nada in a sort of triumph. The eleven captive knights of Cala- 
trava walked in front : next were paraded the ninety captured 
steeds, bearing the armor and weapons of their late owners, and 
led by as many mounted Moors : then came seventy Moorish 
horsemen, with as many Christian heads hanging at their saddle- 
bows : Muley Abdallah followed, surrounded by a number of dis- 
tinguished cavaliers splendidly attired ; and the pageant was 
closed by a long cavalgada of the flocks and herds, and other 
booty recovered from the Christians.* 

The populace gazed with almost savage triumph at these 
captive cavaliers and the gory heads of their companions, know- 
ing them to have been part of the formidable garrison of Alhama, 
so long the scourge of Granada and the terror of the vega. They 
hailed this petty triumph as an auspicious opening of the reign 
of their new monarch ; for several days, the names of Muley 
Abul Hassan and Boabdil el Chico were never mentioned but 
with contempt, and the whole city resounded with the praises of 
El Zagal, or the valiant. 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 62. Mariana, Hist, de Espana. Abarca, Anales de 
Aragon. 






COUNT DE CABRA'S PROJECT. 201 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

How the Count de Cabra attempted to capture another King, and how he 
fared in his attempt. 

The elevation of a bold and active veteran to the throne of Gra- 
nada, in place of its late bedridden king, made an important dif- 
ference in the aspect of the war, and called for some blow that 
should dash the confidence of the Moors in their new monarch, 
and animate the Christians to fresh exertions. 

Don Diego de Cordova, the brave count de Cabra, was at this 
time in his castle of Vaena, where he kept a wary eye upon the 
frontier. It was now the latter part of August, and he grieved 
that the summer should pass away without an inroad into the 
country of the foe. He sent out his scouts on the prowl, and 
they brought him word that the important post of Moclin was 
but weakly garrisoned. This was a castellated town, strongly 
situated upon a high mountain, partly surrounded by thick 
forests, and partly girdled by a river. It defended one of the 
rugged and solitary passes, by which the Christians were wont to 
make their inroads ; insomuch that the Moors, in their figurative 
way, denominated it the shield of Granada. 

The count de Cabra sent word to the monarchs of the feeble 
state of the garrison, and gave it as his opinion, that, by a secret 
and rapid expedition, the place might be surprised. King Ferdi- 
nand asked the advice of his counsellors. Some cautioned him 
9 # 



202 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






against the sanguine temperament of the count, and his heedless- 
ness of danger ; Moclin, they observed, was near to Granada, and 
might be promptly reinforced. The opinion of the count, how- 
ever, prevailed ; the king considering him almost infallible, in 
matters of border warfare, since his capture of Boabdil el Chico. 

The king departed, therefore, from Cordova, and took post at 
Alcala la Real, for the purpose of being near to Moclin. The 
queen, also, proceeded to Vaena, accompanied by her children, 
prince Juan and the princess Isabella, and her great counsellor 
in all matters, public and private, spiritual and temporal, the ven- 
erable grand cardinal of Spain. 

Nothing could exceed the pride and satisfaction of the loyal 
count de Cabra, when he saw this stately train winding along the 
dreary mountain roads, and entering the gates of Vaena. He 
received his royal guests with all due ceremony, and lodged them 
in the best apartments that the warrior castle afforded. 

King Ferdinand had concerted a wary plan, to insure the suc- 
cess of the enterprise. The count de Cabra and Don Martin 
Alonzo de Montemayor were to set forth with their troops, so as 
to reach Moclin by a certain hour, and to intercept all who should 
attempt to enter, or should sally from the town. The master of 
Calatrava, the troops of the grand cardinal, commanded by the 
count of Buendia, and the forces of the bishop of Jaen, led by 
that belligerent prelate, amounting in all to four thousand horse 
and six thousand foot, were to set off in time to co-operate with 
the count de Cabra, so as to surround the town. The king was 
to follow with his whole force, and encamp before the place. 

And here the worthy padre Fray Antonio Agapida breaks 
forth into a triumphant eulogy of the pious prelates, who thus 
mingled personally in these scenes of warfare. As this was a 
holy crusade, (says he,) undertaken for the advancement of the 
faith and the glory of the church, so was it always countenanced 



WARLIKE ECCLESIASTICS. 203 



and upheld by saintly men : for the victories of their most Cath- 
olic majesties were not followed, like those of mere worldly sove- 
reigns, by erecting castles and towers, and appointing alcaydes 
and garrisons ; but by the founding of convents and cathedrals, 
and the establishment of wealthy bishoprics. Wherefore their 
majesties were always surrounded, in court or camp, in the cabi- 
net or in the field, by a crowd of ghostly advisers, inspiriting 
them to the prosecution of this most righteous war. Nay, the 
holy men of the church did not scruple, at times, to buckle on 
the cuirass over the cassock, to exchange the crosier for the lance, 
and thus, with corporal hands and temporal weapons, to fight the 
good fight of the faith. 

But to return from this rhapsody of the worthy friar. The 
count de Cabra, being instructed in the complicated arrangements 
of the king, marched forth at midnight to execute them punctu- 
ally. He led his troops by the little river that winds below 
Vaena, and so up to the wild defiles of the mountains, marching 
all night, and stopping only in the heat of the following day, to 
repose under the shadowy cliffs of a deep barranca, calculating to 
arrive at Moclin exactly in time to co-operate with the other forces. 

The troops had scarcely stretched themselves on the earth to 
take repose, when a scout arrived, bringing word that El Zagal 
had suddenly sallied out of Granada with a strong force, and had 
encamped in the vicinity of Moclin. It was plain that the wary 
Moor had received information of the intended attack. This, 
however, was not the idea that presented itself to the mind of the 
count de Cabra. He had captured one king — here was a fair 
opportunity to secure another. What a prisoner to deliver into 
the hands of his royal mistress ! Fired with the thoughts, the good 
count forgot all the arrangements of the king ; or rather, blinded 
by former success, he trusted every thing to courage and fortune, 
and thought that, by one bold swoop, he might again bear off the 



204 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



royal prize, and wear his laurels without competition.* His only 
fear was that the master of Calatrava, and the belligerent bishop, 
might come up in time to share the glory of the victory ; so 
ordering every one to horse, this hot-spirited cavalier pushed on for 
Moclin without allowing his troops the necessary time for repose. 
The evening closed, as the count arrived in the neighborhood 
of Moclin. It was the full of the moon, and a bright and cloud- 
less night. The count was marching through one of those deep 
valleys or ravines, worn in the Spanish mountains by the brief 
but tremendous torrents which prevail during the autumnal rains. 
It was walled on each side by lofty and almost perpendicular 
cliffs, but great masses of moonlight were thrown into the bottom 
of the glen, glittering on the armor of the shining squadrons, as 
they silently passed through it. Suddenly the war-cry of the 
Moors rose in various parts of the valley ; " El Zagal ! El Za- 
gal!" was shouted from every cliff, accompanied by showers of 
missiles, that struck down several of the Christian warriors. The 
count lifted up his eyes, and beheld, by the light of the moon, 
every cliff glistening with Moorish soldiery. The deadly shower 
fell thickly round him, and the shining armor of his followers 
made them fair objects for the aim of the enemy. The count 
saw his brother G-onzalo struck dead by his side ; his own 
horse sank under him, pierced by four Moorish lances : and he 
received a wound in the hand from an arquebuss. He remem- 
bered the horrible massacre of the mountains of Malaga, and 
feared a similar catastrophe. There was no time to pause. His 
brother's horse, freed from his slaughtered rider, was running at 
large ; seizing the reins, he sprang into the saddle, called upon 
his men to follow him, and wheeling round, retreated out of the 
fatal valley. 

* Mariana, lib. 25, c. 17. Abarca, Zurita, &c. 



EL ZAGAL TRIUMPHS OVER THE CHRISTIANS. 205 



The Moors, rushing down from the heights, pursued the re- 
treating Christians. The chase endured for a league, but it was 
a league of rough and broken road, where the Christians had to 
turn and fight at almost every step. In these short but fierce 
combats, the enemy lost many cavaliers of note ; but the loss of 
the Christians was infinitely more grievous, comprising numbers 
of the noblest warriors of Vaena and its vicinity. Many of the 
Christians, disabled by wounds or exhausted by fatigue, turned 
aside and endeavored to conceal themselves among rocks and 
thickets, but never more rejoined their companions, being slain or 
captured by the Moors, or perishing in their wretched retreats. 

The arrival of the troops, led by the master of Calatrava and 
the bishop of Jaen, put an end to the rout. El Zagal contented 
himself with the laurels he had gained, and, ordering the trum- 
pets to call off his men from the pursuit, returned in great tri- 
umph to Moclin.* 

Queen Isabella was at Vaena, awaiting with great anxiety the 
result of the expedition. She was in a stately apartment of the 
castle, looking towards the road that winds through the moun- 
tains from Moclin, and regarding the watchtowers on the neigh- 
boring heights, in hopes of favorable signals. The prince and 
princess, her children, were with her, and her venerable counsellor 
the grand cardinal. All shared in the anxiety of the moment. 
At length couriers were seen riding toward the town. They 
entered its gates, but before they reached the castle, the nature 
of their tidings was known to the queen, by the shrieks and wait- 
ings from the streets below. The messengers were soon followed 
by wounded fugitives, hastening home to be relieved, or to die 
among their friends and families. The whole town resounded 
with lamentations ; for it had lost the flower of its youth, and its 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 4. Pulgar, Cronica. 



206 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



bravest warriors. Isabella was a woman of courageous soul, but 
her feelings were overpowered by spectacles of woe on every side ; 
her maternal heart mourned over the death of so many loyal sub- 
jects, who shortly before had rallied round her with devoted 
affection ; and, losing her usual self-command, she sank into deep 
despondency. 

In this gloomy state of mind, a thousand apprehensions 
crowded upon her. She dreaded the confidence which this suc- 
cess would impart to the Moors ; she feared also for the important 
fortress of Alhama, the garrison of which had not been rein- 
forced, since its foraging party had been cut off by this same El 
Zagal. On every side she saw danger and disaster, and feared 
that a general reverse was about to attend the Castilian arms. 

The grand cardinal comforted her with both spiritual and 
worldly counsel. He told her to recollect that no country was 
ever conquered without occasional reverses to the conquerors ; 
that the Moors were a warlike people, fortified in a rough and 
mountainous country, where they never could be conquered by 
her ancestors, — and that in fact her armies had already, in three 
years, taken more cities than those of any of her predecessors 
had been able to do in twelve. He concluded by offering to take 
the field himself, with three thousand cavalry, his own re- 
tainers, paid and maintained by himself, and either hasten to the 
relief of Alhama, or undertake any other expedition her majesty 
might command. The discreet words of the cardinal soothed the 
spirit of the queen, who always looked to him for consolation ; 
and she soon recovered her usual equanimity. 

Some of the counsellors of Isabella, of that politic class who 
seek to rise by the faults of others, were loud in their censures of 
the rashness of the count. The queen defended him with prompt 
generosity. " The enterprise," said she, " was rash, but not more 
rash than that of Lucena, which was crowned with success, and 



MAGNANIMITY OF ISABELLA. 207 



which we have all applauded as the height of heroism. Had the 
count de Cabra succeeded in capturing the uncle, as he did the 
nephew, who is there that would not have praised him to the 
skies ?» 

The magnanimous words of the queen put a stop to all invid- 
ious remarks in her presence ; but certain of the courtiers, who 
had envied the count the glory gained by his former achieve- 
ments, continued to magnify, among themselves, his present im- 
prudence ; and we are told by Fray Antonio Agapida, that they 
sneeringly gave the worthy cavalier the appellation of count de 
Cabra, the king-catcher. 

Ferdinand had reached the place on the frontier called the 
Fountain of the King, within three leagues of Moclin, when he 
heard of the late disaster. He greatly lamented the precipita- 
tion of the count, but forbore to express himself with severity, 
for he knew the value of that loyal and valiant cavalier.* He 
held a council of war, to determine what course was to be pur- 
sued. Some of his cavaliers advised him to abandon the attempt 
upon Moclin, the place being strongly reinforced, and the enemy 
inspirited by his recent victory. Certain old Spanish hidalgos 
reminded him that he had but few Castilian troops in his army, 
without which stanch soldiery his predecessors never presumed 
to enter the Moorish territory ; while others remonstrated that it 
would be beneath the dignity of the king to retire from an enter- 
prise, on account of the defeat of a single cavalier and his re- 
tainers. In this way the king was distracted by a multitude of 
counsellors, when fortunately a letter from the queen put an end 
to his perplexities. Proceed we, in the next chapter, to relate 
what was the purport of that letter. 

* Abarca, Anales de Aragon. 



208 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Expedition against the Castles of Cambil and Albahar. 

" Happy are those princes," exclaims the worthy padre Fray 
Antonio Agapida, " who have women and priests to advise them, 
for in these dwelleth the spirit of counsel." While Ferdinand 
and his captains were confounding each other in their delibera- 
tions at the Fountain of the King, a quiet but deep little council 
of war was held in the state apartment of the old castle of Vaena, 
between queen Isabella, the venerable Pedro Gonzalez de Men- 
doza, grand cardinal of Spain, and Don Garcia Osorio, the belli- 
gerent bishop of Jaen. This last worthy prelate, who had ex- 
changed his mitre for a helm, no sooner beheld the defeat of the 
enterprise against Moclin, than he turned the reins of his sleek, 
stall-fed steed, and hastened back to Yaena, full of a project for 
the employment of the army, the advancement of the faith, and 
the benefit of his own diocese. He knew that the actions of the 
king were influenced by the opinions of the queen, and that the 
queen always inclined a listening ear to the counsels of saintly 
men : he laid his plans, therefore, with the customary wisdom of 
his cloth, to turn the ideas of the queen into the proper channel ; 
and this was the purport of the worthy bishop's suggestions. 

The bishopric of Jaen had for a long time been harassed by 
two Moorish castles, the scourge and terror of all that part of the 



THE BISHOP OF JAEN'S DILEMMA. 209 



country. They were situated on the frontiers of the king- 
dom of Granada, about four leagues from Jaen, in a deep, 
narrow, and rugged valley, surrounded by lofty mountains. 
Through this valley runs the Rio Frio, (or Cold river,) in a deep 
channel, worn between high precipitous banks. On each side of 
the stream rise two vast rocks, nearly perpendicular, within a 
stone's throw of each other ; blocking up the gorge of the valley. 
On the summits of these rocks stood the two formidable castles, 
Cambil and Albahar, fortified with battlements and towers of 
great height and thickness. They were connected together by a 
bridge, thrown from rock to rock across the river. The road, 
which passed through the valley, traversed this bridge, and was 
completely commanded by these castles. They stood like two 
giants of romance, guarding the pass, and dominating the valley. 

The kings of Granada, knowing the importance of these cas- 
tles, kept them always well garrisoned, and victualled to stand a 
siege, with fleet steeds and hard riders, to forage the country of 
the Christians. The warlike race of the Abencerrages, the troops 
of the royal household, and others of the choicest chivalry of Gra- 
nada, made them their strongholds, or posts of arms, whence to 
sally forth on those predatory and roving enterprises, in which 
they delighted. As the wealthy bishopric of Jaen lay imme- 
diately at hand, it suffered more peculiarly from these marauders. 
They drove off the fat beeves and the flocks of sheep from the 
pastures, and swept the laborers from the field ; they scoured the 
country to the very gates of Jaen, so that the citizens could not 
venture from their walls, without the risk of being borne off cap- 
tive to the dungeons of these castles. 

The worthy bishop, like a good pastor, beheld with grief of 
heart his fat bishopric daily waxing leaner and leaner, and 
poorer and poorer ; and his holy ire was kindled at the thoughts 
that the possessions of the church should thus be at the mercy of 



210 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



a crew of infidels. It was the urgent counsel of the bishop, 
therefore, that the military force, thus providentially assembled 
in the neighborhood, since it was apparently foiled in its attempt 
upon Moclin, should be turned against these insolent castles, and 
the country delivered from their domination. The grand cardinal 
supported the suggestion of the bishop, and declared that he had 
long meditated the policy of a measure of the kind. Their united 
opinions found favor with the queen, and she dispatched a letter 
on the subject to the king. It came just in time to relieve him 
from the distraction of a multitude of counsellors, and he imme- 
diately undertook the reduction of those castles. 

The marques of Cadiz was accordingly sent in advance, with 
two thousand horse, to keep a watch upon the garrisons, and pre- 
vent all entrance or exit, until the king should arrive with the 
main army and the battering artillery. The queen, to be near at 
hand in case of need, moved her quarters to the city of Jaen, 
where she was received with martial honors by the belligerent 
bishop, who had buckled on his cuirass and girded on his sword, 
to fight in the cause of his diocese. 

In the mean time, the marques of Cadiz arrived in the valley, 
and completely shut up the Moors within their walls. The cas- 
tles were under the command of Mahomet Lentin Ben Usef, an 
Abencerrage, and one of the bravest cavaliers of Granada. In 
his garrisons were many troops of the fierce African tribe of Go- 
meres. Mahomet Lentin, confident in the strength of his for- 
tresses, smiled as he looked down from his battlements upon the 
Christian cavalry, perplexed in the rough and narrow valley. He 
sent forth skirmishing parties to harass them, and there were 
many sharp combats between small parties and single knights ; 
but the Moors were driven back to their castles, and all attempts 
to send intelligence of their situation to Granada, were frustrated 
by the vigilance of the marques of Cadiz. 



ATTEMPT UPON THE CASTLES. 211 



At length the legions of the royal army came pouring, with 
vaunting trumpet and fluttering banner, along the defiles of the 
mountains. They halted before the castles, but the king could 
not find room in the narrow and rugged valley to forjp. his camp ; 
he had to divide it into three parts, which were posted on differ- 
ent heights ; and his tents whitened the sides of the neighboring 
hills. When the encampment was formed, the army remained 
gazing idly at the castles. The artillery was upwards of four 
leagues in the rear, and without artillery all attack would be 
in vain. 

The alcayde Mahomet Lentin knew the nature of the road by 
which the artillery had to be brought. It was merely a narrow 
and rugged path, at times scaling almost perpendicular crags and 
precipices, up which it was utterly impossible for wheel carriages 
to pass ; neither was it in the power of man or beast to draw up 
the lombards, and other ponderous ordnance. He felt assured, 
therefore, that they never could be brought to the camp ; and, 
without their aid, what could the Christians effect against his 
rock-built castles ? He scoffed at them, therefore, as he saw their 
tents by day and their fires by night covering the surrounding 
heights. " Let them linger here a little while longer," said he, 
"and the autumnal torrents will wash them from the mountains. " 

While the alcayde was thus closely mewed up within his 
walls, and the Christians remained inactive in their camp, he no- 
ticed, one calm autumnal day, the sound of implements of labor 
echoing among the mountains, and now and then the crash of a 
falling tree, or a thundering report, as if some rock had been heaved 
from its bed and hurled into the valley. * The alcayde was on the 
battlements of his castle, surrounded by his knights. " Me- 
thinks," said he, u these Christians are making war upon the 
rocks and trees of the mountains, since they find our castles un- 
assailable." 



212 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The sounds did not cease even during the night : every now 
and then, the Moorish sentinel, as he paced the battlements, 
heard some crash echoing among the heights. The return of day 
explained the mystery. Scarcely did the sun shine against the 
summits of the mountains, than shouts burst from the cliffs oppo- 
site to the castles, and were answered from the camp, with joyful 
sound of kettle-drums and trumpets. 

The astonished Moors lifted up their eyes, and beheld,, as it 
were, a torrent of war breaking out of a narrow defile. There 
was a multitude of men, with pickaxes, spades, and bars of iron, 
clearing away every obstacle ; while behind them slowly moved 
along great teams of oxen, dragging heavy ordnance, and all the 
munitions of battering artillery. 

" What cannot women and priests effect, when they unite in 
council?" exclaims again the worthy Antonio Agapida. The 
queen had held another consultation with the grand cardinal and 
the belligerent bishop of Jaen. It was clear that the heavy ord- 
nance could never be conveyed to the camp by the regular road 
of the country ; and without battering artillery, nothing could be 
effected. It was suggested, however, by the zealous bishop, that 
another road might be opened, through a more practicable part 
of the mountains. It would be an undertaking extravagant and 
chimerical, with ordinary means ; and, therefore, unlooked for by 
the enemy : but what could not kings effect, who had treasures 
and armies at command ? 

The project struck the enterprising spirit of the queen. Six 
thousand men, with pickaxes, crowbars, and every other neces- 
sary implement, were set to work day and night, to break a 
road through the very centre of the mountains. No time was 
to be lost, for it was rumored that El Zagal was about to march 
with a mighty host to the relief of the castles. The bustling 
bishop of Jaen acted as pioneer, to mark the route and superin- 









TRIUMPH OVER OBSTACLES. 213 



tend the laborers ; and the grand cardinal took care that the 
work should never languish through lack of means.* 

" When kings' treasures," says Fray Antonio Agapida, " are 
dispensed by priestly hands, there is no stint, as the glorious an- 
nals of Spain bear witness. Under the guidance of these ghostly 
men, it seemed as if miracles were effected. Almost an entire 
mountain was levelled, valleys were filled up, trees hewn down, 
rocks broken and overturned ; in short, all the obstacles which na- 
ture had heaped around, entirely and promptly vanished. In lit- 
tle more than twelve days, this gigantic work was effected, and 
the ordnance dragged to the camp, to the great triumph of the 
Christians and confusion of the Moors, f 

No sooner was the heavy artillery arrived, than it was 
mounted, in all haste, upon the neighboring heights : Francisco 
Ramirez de Madrid, the first engineer in Spain, superintended 
the batteries, and soon opened a destructive fire upon the castles. 

When the alcayde, Mahomet Lentin, found his towers tum- 
bling about him, and his bravest men dashed from the walls, 
without the power of inflicting a wound upon the foe, his haughty 
spirit was greatly exasperated. " Of what avail," said he, bitter- 
ly, "is all the prowess of knighthood against these cowardly 
engines that murder from afar V J 

For a whole day, a tremendous fire kept thundering upon the 
castle of Albahar. The lombards discharged large stones, which 
demolished two of the towers, and all the battlements which 
guarded the portaL If any Moors attempted to defend the walls 
or repair the breaches, they were shot down by ribadoquines, and 
other small pieces of artillery. The Christian soldiery issued 
from the camp, under cover of this fire ; and, approaching the 

* Zurita, Anales de Aragon, lib. 20, c. 64. Pulgar, part 3, cap. 51. 
t Idem. 



214 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



castles, discharged flights of arrows and stones through the open- 
ings made by the ordnance. 

At length, to bring the siege to a conclusion, Francisco Rami- 
rez elevated some of the heaviest artillery on a mount that rose 
in form of a cone or pyramid, on the side of the river near to 
Albahar, and commanded both castles. This was an operation of 
great skill and excessive labor, but it was repaid by complete suc- 
cess ; for the Moors did not dare to wait until this terrible bat- 
tery should discharge its fury. Satisfied that all further resist- 
ance was vain, the valiant alcayde made signal for a parley. The 
articles of capitulation were soon arranged. The alcayde and 
his garrisons were permitted to return in safety to the city of 
Granada, and the castles were delivered into the possession of 
king Ferdinand, on the day of the festival of St. Matthew, in the 
month of September. They were immediately repaired, strongly 
garrisoned, and delivered in charge to the city of Jaen. 

The effects of this triumph were immediately apparent. 
Quiet and security once more settled upon the bishopric. The 
husbandmen tilled their fields in peace, the herds and flocks fat- 
tened unmolested in the pastures, and the vineyards yielded cor- 
pulent skinsful of rosy wine. The good bishop enjoyed, in the 
gratitude of his people, the approbation of his conscience, the in- 
crease of his revenues, and the abundance of his table, a reward 
for all his toils and perils. " This glorious victory," exclaims 
Fray Antonio Agapida, " achieved by such extraordinary man- 
agement and infinite labor, is a shining example of what a bishop 
can effect, for the promotion of the faith and the good of his 
diocese." 



ENTERPRISE AGAINST ZALEA. 315 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Enterprise of the knights of Calatrava against Zalea, 

While these events were taking place on the northern frontier of 
the kingdom of Granada, the important fortress of Alhama was 
neglected, and its commander, Don Gutiere de Padilla, clavero of 
Calatrava, reduced to great perplexity. The remnant of the for- 
aging party, which had been surprised and massacred by El Za- 
gal when on his way to Granada to receive the crown, had re- 
turned in confusion and dismay to the fortress. They could only 
speak of their own disgrace, being obliged to abandon their caval- 
gada and fly, pursued by a superior force : of the flower of their 
party, the gallant knights of Calatrava, who had remained behind 
in the valley, they knew nothing. A few days cleared up the 
mystery of their fate : tidings were brought that their bloody 
heads had been borne in triumph into Granada. The surviving 
knights of Calatrava, who formed a part of the garrison, burned 
to revenge the death of their comrades, and to wipe out the stig- 
ma of this defeat ; but the clavero had been rendered cautious by 
disaster, — he resisted all their entreaties for a foray. His garri- 
son was weakened by the loss of so many of its bravest men ; the 
vega was patrolled by numerous and powerful squadrons, sent 
forth by El Zagal ; above all, the movements of the garrison were 
watched by the warriors of Zalea, a strong town, only two leagues 
distant, on the road towards Loxa. This place was a continual 



216 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



check upon Alhama, when in its most powerful state, placing am- 
buscades to entrap the Christian cavaliers in the course of their 
sallies. Frequent and bloody skirmishes had taken place, in 
consequence ; and the troops of Alhama, when returning from 
their forays, had often to fight their way back through the squad- 
rons of Zalea. Thus surrounded by dangers, Don Gutiere de 
Padilla restrained the eagerness of his troops for a sally, knowing 
that any additional disaster might be followed by the loss of 
Alhama. 

In the meanwhile provisions began to grow scarce ; they were 
unable to forage the country as usual for supplies, and depended 
for relief upon the Castilian sovereigns. The defeat of the count 
de Cabra filled the measure of their perplexities, as it interrupted 
the intended reinforcements and supplies. To such extremity 
were they reduced, that they were compelled to kill some of their 
horses for provisions. 

The worthy clavero, Don Gutiere de Padilla, was pondering 
one day on this gloomy state of affairs, when a Moor was brought 
before him who had surrendered himself at the gate of Alhama, 
and claimed an audience. Don Gutiere was accustomed to visits 
of the kind from renegado Moors, who roamed the country as 
spies and adalides ; but the countenance of this man was quite 
unknown to him. He had a box strapped to his shoulders, con- 
taining divers articles of traffic, and appeared to be one of those 
itinerant traders, who often resorted to Alhama and the other 
garrison towns, under pretext of vending trivial merchandise, 
such as amulets, perfumes, and trinkets, but who often produced 
rich shawls, golden chains and necklaces, and valuable gems and 
jewels. 

The Moor requested a private conference with the clavero : 
" I have a precious jewel," said he, " to dispose of." 

" I want no jewels," replied Don Gutiere. 



REVENGEFUL PROPOSAL. 217 



iC For the sake of him who died on the cross, the great prophet 
of your faith," said the Moor, solemnly, " refuse not my request ; 
the jewel I speak of you alone can purchase, but I can only treat 
about it in secret." 

Don Gutiere perceived there was something hidden under 
these mystic and figurative terms, in which the Moors were often 
accustomed to talk. He motioned to his attendants to retire. 
When they were alone, the Moor looked cautiously around the 
apartment, and then, approaching close to the knight, demanded 
in a low voice, " What will you give me, if I deliver the fortress 
of Zalea into your hands V* 

Don Gutiere looked with surprise at the humble individual 
that made such a suggestion. 

" What means have you," said he, " of effecting such a pro- 
position ?" 

"I have a brother in the garrison of Zalea," replied the 
Moor, " who, for a proper compensation, would admit a body of 
troops into the citadel." 

Don Gutiere turned a scrutinizing eye upon the Moor. 
" What right have I to believe," said he, " that thou wilt be truer 
to me, than to those of thy blood and thy religion ?" 

" I renounce all ties to them, either of blood or religion," re- 
plied the Moor ; " my mother was a Christian captive ; her coun- 
try shall henceforth be my country, and her faith, my faith."* 

The doubts of Don Gutiere were not dispelled by this profes- 
sion of mongrel Christianity. " Granting the sincerity of thy 
conversion," said he, " art thou under no obligations of gratitude 
or duty to the alcayde of the fortress thou wouldst betray?" 

The eyes of the Moor flashed fire at the words ; he gnashed 
his teeth with fury. " The alcayde," cried he, " is a dog ! He 

* Cura de los Palacios. 
10 



218 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



has deprived my brother of his just share of booty ; he has 
robbed me of my merchandise, treated me worse than a Jew when 
I murmured at his injustice, and ordered me to be thrust forth 
ignominiously from his walls. May the curse of God fall upon 
my head, if I rest content until I have full revenge !" 

" Enough," said Don Gutiere : " I trust more to thy revenge 
than thy religion." 

The good clavero called a council of his officers. The knights 
of Calatrava were unanimous for the enterprise — zealous to ap- 
pease the manes of their slaughtered comrades. Don Gutiere 
reminded them of the state of the garrison, enfeebled by their 
late loss, and scarcely sufficient for the defence of the walls. The 
cavaliers replied, that there was no achievement without risk, and 
that there would have been no great actions recorded in history, 
had there not been daring spirits ready to peril life to gain 
renown. 

Don Gutiere yielded to the wishes of his knights, for to have 
resisted any further might have drawn on him the imputation of 
timidity : he ascertained by trusty spies that every thing in Zalea 
remained in the usual state, and he made all the requisite arrange- 
ments for the attack. 

When the appointed night arrived, all the cavaliers were anx- 
ious to engage in the enterprise ; but the individuals were decided 
by lot. They set out, under the guidance of the Moor; and 
when they had arrived in the vicinity of Zalea, they bound his 
hands behind his back, and their leader pledged his knightly 
word to strike him dead, on the first sign of treachery. He then 
bade him to lead the way. 

It was near midnight when they reached the walls of the 
fortress. They passed silently along until they found themselves 
below the citadel. Here their guide made a low and preconcerted 
signal : it was answered from above, and a cord let down from the 



ZALEA TAKEN. 219 



wall. The knights attached to it a ladder, which was drawn up 
and fastened. Gutiere Muiioz was the first that mounted, fol- 
lowed by Pedro de Alvarado, both brave and hardy soldiers. A 
handful succeeded : they were attacked by a party of guards, but 
held them at bay until more of their comrades ascended ; with 
their assistance, they gained possession of a tower and part of 
the wall. The garrison, by this time, was aroused ; but before 
they could reach the scene of action, most of the cavaliers were 
within the battlements. A bloody contest raged for about an 
hour — several of the Christians were slain, but many of the 
Moors ; at length the citadel was carried, and the town submitted 
without resistance. 

Thus did the gallant knights of Calatrava gain the strong 
town of Zalea with scarcely any loss, and atone for the inglorious 
defeat of their companions by El Zagal. They found the maga- 
zines of the place well stored with provisions, and were enabled 
to carry a seasonable supply to their own famishing garrison. 

The tidings of this event reached the sovereigns, just after 
the surrender of Cambil and Albahar. They were greatly re- 
joiced at this additional success of their arms, and immediately 
sent strong reinforcements and ample supplies for both Alhama 
and Zalea. They then dismissed the army for the winter. Fer- 
dinand and Isabella retired to Alcala de Henares, where the 
queen, on the 16th of December, 1485, gave birth to the princess 
Catharine, afterwards wife of Henry VIII., of England. Thus 
prosperously terminated the checkered campaign of this important 
year. 



220 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Death of Muley Abul Hassan. 

Muley Abdallah El Zagal had been received with great accla- 
mations at Granada, on his return from defeating the count de 
Cabra. He had endeavored to turn his victory to the greatest 
advantage, with his subjects ; giving tilts and tournaments, and 
other public festivities, in which the Moors delighted. The loss 
of the castles of Cambil and Albahar, and of the fortress of 
Zalea, however, checked this sudden tide of popularity ; and 
some of the fickle populace began to doubt whether they had not 
been rather precipitate in deposing his brother, Muley Abul 
Hassan. 

That superannuated monarch remained in his faithful town of 
Almunecar, on the border of the Mediterranean, surrounded by 
a few adherents, together with his wife Zoraya and his children ; 
and he had all his treasures safe in his possession. The fiery 
heart of the old king was almost burnt out, and all his powers of 
doing either harm or good seemed at an end. 

While in this passive and helpless state, his brother El 
Zagal manifested a sudden anxiety for his health. He had him 
removed, with all tenderness and care, to Salobrena, another 
fortress on the Mediterranean coast, famous for its pure and salu- 
brious air ; and the alcayde, who was a devoted adherent to El 



DEATH OF MULEY ABUL HASSAN. 221 



Zagal, was charged to have especial care that nothing was want- 
ing to the comfort and solace of his brother. 

Salobrena was a small town, situated on a lofty and rocky 
hill, in the midst of a beautiful and fertile vega, shut up on three 
sides by mountains, and opening on the fourth to the Mediter- 
ranean. It was protected by strong walls and a powerful castle, 
and, being deemed impregnable, was often used by the Moorish 
kings as a place of deposit for their treasures. They were accus- 
tomed also to assign it as a residence for such of their sons 
and brothers as might endanger the security of their reign. 
Here the princes lived, in luxurious repose : they had delicious 
gardens, perfumed baths, a harem of beauties at their command 
— nothing was denied them but the liberty to depart ; that alone 
was wanting to render this abode an earthly paradise. 

Such was the delightful place appointed by El Zagal for the 
residence of his brother ; but, notwithstanding its wonderful salu- 
brity, the old monarch had not been removed thither many days 
before he expired. There was nothing extraordinary in his 
death : life with him had long been glimmering in the socket, and 
for some time past he might rather have been numbered with the 
dead than with the living. The public, however, are fond of 
seeing things in a sinister and mysterious point of view, and 
there were many dark surmises as to the cause of this event. El 
Zagal acted in a manner to heighten these suspicions : he caused 
the treasures of his deceased brother to be packed on mules and 
brought to Granada, where he took possession of them, to the ex- 
clusion of the children of Abul Hassan. The sultana Zoraya 
and her two sons were lodged in the Aihambra, in the tower of 
Comares. This was a residence in a palace — but it had proved a 
royal prison to the sultana Ayxa la Horra, and her youthful son 
Boabdil. There the unhappy Zoraya had time to meditate upon 
the disappointment of all those ambitious schemes for herself 



222 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



and children, for which she had stained her conscience with so 
many crimes. 

The corpse of old Muley was also brought to Granada, not in 
state becoming the remains of a once powerful sovereign, but 
transported on a mule, like the corpse of the poorest peasant. It 
received no honor or ceremonial from El Zagal, and appears to 
have been interred obscurely, to prevent any popular sensation ; 
and it is recorded by an ancient and faithful chronicler of the 
time, that the body of the old monarch was deposited by two 
Christian captives in his osario or charnel-house.* Such was the 
end of the turbulent Muley Abul Hassan, who, after passing his 
life in constant contests for empire, could scarce gain quiet ad- 
mission into the corner of a sepulchre. 

No sooner were the populace well assured that old Muley 
Abul Hassan was dead, and beyond recovery, than they all began 
to extol his memory and deplore his loss. They admitted that he 
had been fierce and cruel, but then he had been brave ; he had, 
to be sure, pulled this war upon their heads, but he had likewise 
been crushed by it. In a word, he was dead ; and his death 
atoned for every fault ; for a king, recently dead, is generally 
either a hero or a saint. 

In proportion as they ceased to hate old Muley, they began 
to hate his brother. The circumstances of the old king's death, 
the eagerness to appropriate his treasures, the scandalous neglect 
of his corpse, and the imprisonment of his sultana and children, 
all filled the public mind with gloomy suspicions ; and the epithet 
of Fratracide ! was sometimes substituted for that of El Zagal, 
in the low murmurings of the people. 

As the public must always have some object to like as well as 
to hate, there began once more to be an inquiry after their fugi- 

* Cura de los Palacios. c. 77. 




PARTIAL RESTORATION OF BOABDIL. 223 



tive king, Boabdil el Chico. That unfortunate monarch was still 
at Cordova, existing on the cool courtesy and meagre friendship 
of Ferdinand ; which had waned exceedingly, ever since Boabdil 
had ceased to have any influence in his late dominions. The re- 
viving interest expressed in his fate by the Moorish public, and 
certain secret overtures made to him, once more aroused the sym- 
pathy of Ferdinand : he advised Boabdil again to set up his 
standard within the frontiers of Granada, and furnished him 
with money and means for the purpose. Boabdil advanced but 
a little way into his late territories ; he took up his post at Velez 
el Blanco, a strong town on the confines of Murcia ; there he 
established the shadow of a court, and stood, as it were, with one 
foot over the border, and ready to draw that back upon the least 
alarm. His presence in the kingdom, however, and his assump- 
tion of royal state, gave life to his faction in Granada. The in- 
habitants of the Albaycin, the poorest but most warlike part of 
the populace, were generally in his favor : the more rich, courtly, 
and aristocratical inhabitants of the quarter of the Alhambra, 
rallied round what appeared to be the most stable authority, and 
supported the throne of El Zagal. So it is, in the admirable order 
of sublunary affairs: every thing seeks its kind; the rich be- 
friend the rich, the powerful stand by the powerful, the poor 
enjoy the patronage of the poor — and thus a universal harmony 
prevails ! 



224 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Of the Christian army which assembled at the city of Cordova. 

Great and glorious was the style with which the Catholic sove- 
reigns opened another year's campaign of this eventful war. It 
was like commencing another act of a stately and heroic drama, 
where the curtain rises to the inspiring sound of martial melody, 
and the whole stage glitters with the array of warriors and the 
pomp of arms. The ancient city of Cordova was the place 
appointed by the sovereigns for the assemblage of the troops ; 
and early in the spring of 1486, the fair valley of the Guadal- 
quivir resounded with the shrill blast of trumpet, and the impa- 
tient neighing of the war-horse. In this splendid era of Spanish 
chivalry, there was a rivalship among the nobles who most should 
distinguish himself by the splendor of his appearance, and the 
number and equipments of his feudal followers. Every day be- 
held some cavalier of note, the representative of some proud and 
powerful house, entering the gates of Cordova with sound of 
trumpet, and displaying his banner and device, renowned in 
many a contest. He would appear in sumptuous array, sur- 
rounded by pages and lackeys no less gorgeously attired, and 
followed by a host of vassals and retainers, horse and foot, all 
admirably equipped in burnished armor. 

Such was the state of Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, duke of 
Infantado ; who may be cited as a picture of a warlike noble of 



CHRISTIAN ARMY AT CORDOVA. 225 



those times. He brought with him five hundred men-at-arms of 
his household, armed and mounted a la gineta and a la guisa. 
The cavaliers who attended him were magnificently armed and 
dressed. The housings of fifty of his horses were of rich cloth, 
embroidered with gold ; and others were of brocade. The sump- 
ter mules had housings of the same, with halters of silk ; while 
the bridles, head-pieces, and all the harnessing, glittered with 
silver. 

The camp equipage of these noble and luxurious warriors, was 
equally magnificent. Their tents were gay pavilions, of various 
colors, fitted up with silken hangings and decorated with flutter- 
ing pennons. They had vessels of gold and silver for the service 
of their tables, as if they were about to engage in a course of 
stately feasts and courtly revels, instead of the stern encounters 
of rugged and mountainous warfare. Sometimes- they passed 
through the streets of Cordova at night, in splendid cavalcade, 
with great numbers of lighted torches, the rays of which falling 
upon polished armor and nodding plumes, and silken scarfs, and 
trappings of golden embroidery, filled all beholders with admi- 
ration.* 

But it was not the chivalry of Spain, alone, which thronged 
the streets of Cordova. The fame of this war had spread through- 
out Christendom : it was considered a kind of crusade ; and Ca- 
tholic knights from all parts hastened to signalize themselves in 
so holy a cause. There were several valiant chevaliers from 
France, among whom the most distinguished was Gaston du 
Leon, Seneschal of Toulouse. With him came a gallant train, 
well armed and mounted, and decorated with rich surcoats and 
panaches of feathers. These cavaliers, it is said, eclipsed all 
others in the light festivities of the court : they were devoted to 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 41, 56. 
10* 



226 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the fair, but not after the solemn and passionate manner of the 
Spanish lovers ; they were gay, gallant, and joyous in their 
amours, and captivated by the vivacity of their attacks. They 
were at first held in light estimation by the grave and stately 
Spanish knights, until they made themselves to be respected by 
their wonderful prowess in the field. 

The most conspicuous of the volunteers, however, who ap- 
peared in Cordova on this occasion, was an English knight of 
royal connection. This was the lord Scales, earl of Rivers, bro- 
ther to the queen of England, wife of Henry VII. He had dis- 
tinguished himself in the preceding year, at the battle of Bos- 
worth field, where Henry Tudor, then earl of Richmond, over- 
came Richard III. That decisive battle having left the country 
at peace, the earl of Rivers, having conceived a passion for war- 
like scenes, repaired to the Castilian court, to keep his arms in 
exercise, in a campaign against the Moors. He brought with 
him a hundred archers, all dexterous with the long-bow and the 
cloth-yard arrow ; also two hundred yeomen, armed cap-a-pie, 
who fought with pike and battle-axe, — men robust of frame, and 
of prodigious strength. The worthy padre Fray Antonio Aga- 
pida describes this stranger knight and his followers, with his ac- 
customed accuracy and minuteness. 

" This cavalier," he observes, " was from the far island of 
England, and brought with him a train of his vassals ; men who 
had been hardened in certain civil wars which raged in their 
country. They were a comely race of men, but too fair and fresh 
for warriors, not having the sun-burnt warlike hue of our old Casti- 
lian soldiery. They were huge feeders also, and deep carousers, 
and could not accommodate themselves to the sober diet of our 
troops, but must fain eat and drink after the manner of their own 
country. They were often noisy and unruly, also, in their was- 
sail ; and their quarter of the camp was prone to be a scene of 



THE ENGLISH LORD SCALES. 227 



loud revel and sudden brawl. They were, withal, of great pride, 
yet it was not like our inflammable Spanish pride : they stood not 
much upon the pundonor, the high punctilio, and rarely drew the 
stiletto in their disputes ; but their pride was silent and contu- 
melious. Though from a remote and somewhat barbarous island, 
they believed themselves the most perfect men upon earth, and 
magnified their chieftain, the lord Scales, beyond the greatest of 
their grandees. With all this, it must be said of them that they 
were marvellous good men in the field, dexterous archers, and 
powerful with the battle-axe. In their great pride and self-will, 
they always sought to press in the advance and take the post of 
danger, trying to outvie our Spanish chivalry. They did not rush 
on fiercely to the fight, nor make a brilliant onset like the Moor- 
ish and Spanish troops, but they went into the fight deliberately, 
and persisted obstinately, and were slow to find out when they 
were beaten. Withal they were much esteemed, yet little liked 
by our soldiery, who considered them stanch companions 
in the field, yet coveted but little fellowship with them in the 
camp. 

" Their commander, the lord Scales, was an accomplished ca- 
valier, of gracious and noble presence and fair speech ; it was a 
marvel to see so much courtesy in a knight brought up so far 
from our Castilian court. He was much honored by the king 
and queen, and found great favor with the fair dames about the 
court, who indeed are rather prone to be pleased with foreign ca- 
valiers. He went always in costly state, attended by pages and 
esquires, and accompanied by noble young cavaliers of his coun- 
try, who had enrolled themselves under his banner, to learn the 
gentle exercise of arms. In all pageants and festivals, the eyes 
of the populace were attracted by the singular bearing and rich 
array of the English earl and his train, who prided themselves in 
always appearing in the garb and manner of their country — and 



228 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



were indeed something very magnificent, delectable, and strange 
to behold." 

The worthy chronicler is no less elaborate in his description 
of the masters of Santiago, Calatrava, and Alcantara, and their 
valiant knights, armed at all points, and decorated with the 
badges of their orders. These, he affirms, were the flower of 
Christian chivalry: being constantly in service, they became 
more steadfast and accomplished in discipline, than the irregular 
and temporary levies of the feudal nobles. Calm, solemn, and 
stately, they sat like towers upon their powerful chargers. On 
parades, they manifested none of the show and ostentation of the 
other troops : neither, in battle, did they endeavor to signalize 
themselves by any fiery vivacity, or desperate and vainglorious 
exploit — every thing, with them, was measured and sedate ; yet 
it was observed, that none were more warlike in their appear- 
ance in the camp, or more terrible for their achievements in the 
field. 

The gorgeous magnificence of the Spanish nobles found but lit- 
tle favor in the eyes of the sovereigns. They saw that it caused a 
competition in expense, ruinous to cavaliers of moderate fortune ; 
and they feared that a softness and effeminacy might thus be in- 
troduced, incompatible with the stern nature of the war. They 
signified their disapprobation to several of the principal noble- 
men, and recommended a more sober and soldierlike display while 
in actual service. 

u These are rare troops for a tourney, my lord," said Ferdi- 
nand to the duke of Infantado, as he beheld his retainers glitter- 
ing in gold and embroidery : " but gold, though gorgeous, is soft 
and yielding: iron is the metal for the field." 

" Sire," replied the duke, " if my men parade in gold, your 
majesty will find they fight with steel." The king smiled, but 
shook his head, and the duke treasured up his speech in his heart. 



SORTIE FROM CORDOVA AGAINST LOXA. 229 



It remains now to reveal the immediate object of this mighty 
and chivalrous preparation, which had, in fact, the gratification of 
a royal pique at bottom. The severe lesson which Ferdinand had 
received from the veteran Ali Atar, before the walls of Loxa, 
though it had been of great service in rendering him wary in his 
attacks upon fortified places, yet rankled sorely in his mind ; and 
he had ever since held Loxa in peculiar odium. It was, in truth, 
one of the most belligerent and troublesome cities on the borders ; 
incessantly harassing Andalusia by its incursions. It also inter- 
vened between the Christian territories and Alhama, and other 
important places gained in the kingdom of Granada. For all 
these reasons, king Ferdinand had determined to make another 
grand attempt upon this warrior city ; and for this purpose, 
had summoned to the field his most powerful chivalry. 

It was in the month of May, that the king sallied from Cor- 
dova, at the head of his army. He had twelve thousand cavalry 
and forty thousand foot-soldiers, armed with cross-bows, lances, 
and arquebusses. There were six thousand pioneers, with hatch- 
ets, pickaxes, and crowbars, for levelling roads. He took with 
him, also, a great train of lombard and other heavy artillery, with 
a body of Germans skilled in the service of ordnance and the art 
of battering walls. 

It was a glorious spectacle (says Fray Antonio Agapida) to 
behold this pompous pageant issuing forth from Cordova, the 
pennons and devices of the proudest houses of Spain, with those 
of gallant stranger knights, fluttering above a sea of crests and 
plumes ; to see it slowly moving, with flash of helm, and cuirass, 
and buckler, across the ancient bridge, and reflected in the wa- 
ters of the Guadalquivir, while the neigh of steed and blast of 
trumpet vibrated in the air, and resounded to the distant moun- 
tains. " But, above all," concludes the good father, with his un- 
customed zeal, " it was triumphant to behold the standard of the 



230 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



faith every where displayed, and to reflect that this was no world- 
ly-minded army, intent upon some temporal scheme of ambition 
or revenge ; but a Christian host, bound on a crusade to extir- 
pate the vile seed of Mahomet from the land, and to extend the 
pure dominion of the church." 



FRESH TROUBLES AT GRANADA. 231 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

How fresh commotions broke out in Granada, and how the people under- 
took to allay them, 

While perfect unity of object and harmony of operation gave 
power to the Christian arms, the devoted kingdom of Granada 
continued a prey to internal feuds. The transient popularity of 
El Zagal had declined ever since the death of his brother, and 
the party of Boabdil was daily gaining strength : the Albaycin 
and the Alhambra were again arrayed against each other in 
deadly strife, and the streets of unhappy Granada were daily dyed 
in the blood of her children. In the midst of these dissensions, 
tidings arrived of the formidable army assembling at Cordova. 
The rival factions paused in their infatuated brawls, and were 
roused to a temporary sense of the common danger. They forth- 
with resorted to their old expedient of new-modelling their go- 
vernment, or rather of making and unmaking kings. The eleva- 
tion of El Zagal to the throne had not produced the desired effect 
— what then was to be done ? Recall Boabdil el Chico, and 
acknowledge him again as sovereign ? While they were in a 
popular tumult of deliberation, Hamet Aben Zarrax, surnamed 
El Santo, rose among them. This was the same wild, melancholy 
man, who had predicted the woes of Granada. He issued from 
one of the caverns of the adjacent height which overhangs the 



232 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



DarrOj and has since been called the Holy Mountain. His ap- 
pearance was more haggard than ever ; for the unheeded spirit of 
prophecy seemed to have turned inwardly, and preyed upon his 
vitals. " Beware, oh Moslems," exclaimed he, u of men who are 
eager to govern, yet are unable to protect. Why slaughter each 
other for El Chico or El Zagal ? Let your kings renounce their 
contests, unite for the salvation of Granada, or let them be de- 
posed." 

Hamet Aben Zarrax had long been revered as a saint — he 
was now considered an oracle. The old men and the nobles im- 
mediately consulted together, how the two rival kings might be 
brought to accord. They had tried most expedients ; it was now 
determined to divide the kingdom between them ; giving Granada, 
Malaga, Velez Malaga, Almeria, Almunecar, and their dependen- 
cies to El Zagal — and the residue to Boabdil el Chico. Among 
the cities granted to the latter, Loxa was particularly specified, 
with a condition that he should immediately take command of 
it in person ; for the council thought the favor he enjoyed with 
the Castilian monarchs, might avert the threatened attack. 

El Zagal readily agreed to this arrangement ; he had been 
hastily elevated to the throne by an ebullition of the people, and 
might be as hastily cast down again. It secured him one half of 
a kingdom to which he had no hereditary right, and he trusted to 
force or fraud to gain the other half hereafter. The wily old 
monarch even sent a deputation to his nephew, making a merit of 
offering him cheerfully the half which he had thus been com- 
pelled to relinquish, and inviting him to enter into an amicable 
coalition for the good of the country. 

The heart of Boabdil shrank from all connection with a man 
who had sought his life, and whom he regarded as the murderer 
of his kindred. He accepted one half of the kingdom as an 
offer from the nation, not to be rejected by a prince who scarcely 



MOORISH KINGDOM DIVIDED. 



fceld possession of the ground he stood on. He asserted, never- 
theless, his absolute right to the whole, and only submitted to the 
partition out of anxiety for the present good of his people. He 
assembled his handful of adherents, and prepared to hasten to 
Loxa. As he mounted his horse to depart, Hamet Aben Zarrax 
stood suddenly before him. "Be true to thy country and thy 
faith," cried he : " hold no further communication with these 
Christian dogs. Trust not the hollow-hearted friendship of the 
Castilian king ; he is mining the earth beneath thy feet. Choose 
one of two things ; be a sovereign or a slave — thou canst not be 
both." 

Boabdil ruminated on these words ; he made many wise reso- 
lutions, but he was prone always to act from the impulse of the 
moment, and was unfortunately given to temporize in his policy. 
He wrote to Ferdinand, informing him that Loxa and certain 
other cities had returned to their allegiance, and that he held 
them as vassal to the Castilian crown, according to their conven- 
tion. He conjured him, therefore, to refrain from any meditated 
attack, offering free passage to the Spanish army to Malaga, or 
any other place under the dominion of his uncle.* 

Ferdinand turned a deaf ear to the entreaty, and to all pro- 
fessions of friendship and vassalage. Boabdil was nothing to 
him, but as an instrument for stirring up the flames of civil war. 
He now insisted that he had entered into a hostile league with 
his uncle, and had consequently forfeited all claims to his indul- 
gence ; and he prosecuted, with the greater earnestness, his cam- 
paign against the city of Loxa. 

" Thus," observes the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, " thus 
did this most sagacious sovereign act upon the text in the 
eleventh chapter of the Evangelist St. Luke, that 4 a kingdom 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 68. 



234 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



divided against itself cannot stand.' He had induced these 
infidels to waste and destroy themselves by internal dissensions, 
and finally cast forth the survivor ; while the Moorish monarchs, 
by their ruinous contests, made good the old Castilian proverb in 
cases of civil war, * El vencido vencido, y el vencidor perdido,' 
(the conquered conquered, and the conqueror undone.)"* 



* Garibay, lib. 40, c. 33. 



FERDINAND'S COUNCIL OF WAR. 235 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

How king Ferdinand held a council of war, at the Rock of the Lovers. 

The royal army, on its march against Loxa, lay encamped, one 
pleasant evening in May, in a meadow on the banks of the river 
Yeguas, around the foot of a lofty cliff called the Rock of the 
Lovers. The quarters of each nobleman formed as it were a 
separate little encampment ; his stately pavilion, surmounted by 
his fluttering pennon, rising above the surrounding tents of his 
vassals and retainers. A little apart from the others, as it were 
in proud reserve, was the encampment of the English earl. It 
was sumptuous in its furniture, and complete in all its munitions. 
Archers, and soldiers armed with battle-axes, kept guard around 
it ; while above, the standard of England rolled out its ample 
folds, and flapped in the evening breeze. 

The mingled sounds of various tongues and nations were 
heard from the soldiery, as they watered their horses in the 
stream, or busied themselves round the fires which began to glow, 
here and there, in the twilight : the gay chanson of the French- 
man, singing of his amours on the pleasant banks of the Loire, 
or the sunny regions of the Garonne ; the broad guttural tones 
of the German, chanting some doughty krieger lied^ or extolling 
the vintage of the Rhine ; the wild romance of the Spaniard, re- 
citing the achievements of the Cid, and many a famous passage 
of the Moorish wars ; and the long and melancholy ditty of the 



236 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Englishman, treating of some feudal hero or redoubtable outlaw 
of his distant island. 

On a rising ground, commanding a view of the whole en- 
campment, stood the ample and magnificent pavilion of the king, 
with the banner of Castile and Aragon, and the holy standard of 
the cross, erected before it. In this tent were assembled the 
principal commanders of the army, having been summoned by 
Ferdinand to a council of war, on receiving tidings that Boabdil 
had thrown himself into Loxa with a considerable reinforcement. 
After some consultation, it was determined to invest Loxa on both 
sides : one part of the army should seize upon the dangerous but 
commanding height of Santo Albohacen, in front of the city ; while 
the remainder, making a circuit, should encamp on the opposite side. 

No sooner was this resolved upon, than the marques of Cadiz 
stood forth and claimed the post of danger in behalf of himself 
and those cavaliers, his companions in arms, who had been com- 
pelled to relinquish it by the general retreat of the army on the 
former siege. The enemy had exulted over them, as if driven 
from it in disgrace. To regain that perilous height, to pitch 
their tents upon it, and to avenge the blood of their valiant com- 
peer, the master of Calatrava, who had fallen upon it, was due to 
their fame ; the marques demanded, therefore, that they might 
lead the advance and secure that height, engaging to hold the 
enemy employed until the main army should take its position on 
the opposite side of the city. 

King Ferdinand readily granted his permission ; upon which 
the count de Cabra entreated to be admitted to a share of the 
enterprise. He had always been accustomed to serve in the ad- 
vance ; and now that Boabdil was in the field, and a king was to 
be taken, he could not content himself with remaining in the 
rear. Ferdinand yielded his consent, for he was disposed to give 
the good count every opportunity to retrieve his late disaster. 



ENTERPRISE AGAINST LOXA. 237 



The English earl, when he heard there was an enterprise of 
danger in question, was hot to be admitted to the party ; but the 
king restrained his ardor. " These cavaliers," said he, " conceive 
that they have an account to settle with their pride ; let them 
have the enterprise to themselves, my lord ; if you follow these 
Moorish wars long, you will find no lack of perilous service." 

The marques of Cadiz, and his companions in arms, struck 
their tents before daybreak ; they were five thousand horse and 
twelve thousand foot, and marched rapidly along the defiles of 
the mountains ; the cavaliers being anxious to strike the blow, 
and get possession of the height of Albohacen, before the king 
with the main army should arrive to their assistance. 

The city of Loxa stands on a high hill, between two moun- 
tains, on the banks of the Xenel. To attain the height of Albo- 
hacen, the troops had to pass over a tract of rugged and broken 
country, and a deep valley, intersected by those canals and water- 
courses with which the Moors irrigated their lands : they were ex- 
tremely embarrassed in this part of their march, and in imminent 
risk of being cut up in detail before they could reach the height. 

The count de Cabra, with his usual eagerness, endeavored to 
push across this valley, in defiance of every obstacle ; he, in con- 
sequence, soon became entangled with his cavalry among the 
canals ; but his impatience would not permit him to retrace his 
steps, and choose a more practicable but circuitous route. Others 
slowly crossed another part of the valley, by the aid of pontoons ; 
while the marques of Cadiz, Don Alonzo de Aguilar, and the 
count de Urefia, being more experienced in the ground from their 
former campaign, made a circuit round the bottom of the height, 
and, winding up it, began to display their squadrons and elevate 
their banners on the redoubtable post, which, in their former 
siege, they had been compelled so reluctantly to abandon. 



238 CONQUEST OF GRANADA 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

How the Royal Army appeared before the city of Loxa, and how it was 
received ; and of the doughty achievements of the English Earl. 

The advance of the Christian army upon Loxa, threw the waver- 
ing Boabdil el Chico into one of his usual dilemmas ; and he 
was greatly perplexed between his oath of allegiance to the 
Spanish sovereigns, and his sense of duty to his subjects. His 
doubts were determined by the sight of the enemy glittering upon 
the height of Albohacen, and by the clamors of the people to be 
led forth to battle. " Allah I" exclaimed he, " thou knowest my 
heart : thou knowest I have been true in my faith to this Chris- 
tian monarch. I have offered to hold Loxa as his vassal, but he 
has preferred to approach it as an enemy — on his head be the 
infraction of our treaty !" 

Boabdil was not wanting in courage ; he only needed decision. 
When he had once made up his mind, he acted vigorously ; the 
misfortune was, he either did not make it up at all, or he made it 
up too late. He who decides tardily generally acts rashly, en- 
deavoring to make up by hurry of action for slowness of delibe- 
ration. Boabdil hastily buckled on his armor, and sallied forth, 
surrounded by his guards, and at the head of five hundred horse 
and four thousand foot, the flower of his army. Some he de- 
tached to skirmish with the Christians, who were scattered and 
perplexed in the valley, and to prevent their concentrating their 



DE CABRA LOSES THE PRIZE. 239 

forces ; while, with his main body, he pressed forward to drive 
the enemy from the height of Albohacen, before they had time to 
collect there in any number, or to fortify themselves in that im- 
portant position. 

The worthy count de Cabra was yet entangled with his cavalry 
among the water-courses of the valley, when he heard the war- 
cries of the Moors, and saw their army rushing over the bridge. 
He recognized Boabdil himself, by his splendid armor, the mag- 
nificent caparison of his steed, and the brilliant guard which 
surrounded him. The royal host swept on toward the height of 
Albohacen : an intervening hill hid it from his sight ; but loud 
shouts and cries, the din of drums and trumpets, and the reports 
of arquebusses, gave note that the battle had begun. 

Here was a royal prize in the field, and the count de Cabra, 
unable to get into the action ! The good cavalier was in an agony 
of impatience ; every attempt to force his way across the valley, 
only plunged him into new difficulties. At length, after many 
eager but ineffectual efforts, he was obliged to order his troops to 
dismount, and slowly and carefully to lead their horses back, 
along slippery paths, and amid plashes of mire and water, where 
often there was scarce a foothold. The good count groaned in 
spirit, and sweat with mere impatience as he went, fearing the 
battle might be fought, and the prize won or lost, before he could 
reach the field. Having at length toilfully unravelled the mazes 
of the valley, and arrived at firmer ground, he ordered his troops 
to mount, and led them full gallop to the height. Part of the 
good count's wishes were satisfied, but the dearest were disap- 
pointed ; he came in season to partake of the very hottest of the 
fight, but the royal prize was no longer in the field. 

Boabdil had led on his men with impetuous valor, or rather 
with hurried rashness. Heedlessly exposing himself in the front 
of the battle, he received two wounds in the very first encounter. 



240 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



His guards rallied round him, defended him with matchless 
valor, and bore him, bleeding, out of the action. The count de 
Cabra arrived just in time to see the loyal squadron crossing the 
bridge, and slowly conveying their disabled monarch towards the 
gate of the city. 

The departure of Boabdil made no difference in the fury of 
the battle. A Moorish warrior, dark and terrible in aspect, 
mounted on a black charger and followed by a band of savage 
G-omeres, rushed forward to take the lead. It was Hamet el 
Zegri, the fierce alcayde of Ronda, with the remnant of his once 
redoubtable garrison. Animated by his example, the Moors re- 
newed their assaults upon the height. It was bravely defended, 
on one side by the marques of Cadiz, on another by Don Alonzo 
de Aguilar ; and as fast as the Moors ascended, they were driven 
back and dashed down the declivities. The count de Urena took 
his stand upon the fatal spot where his brother had fallen ; his 
followers entered with zeal into the feelings of their commander, 
and heaps of the enemy sunk beneath their weapons — sacrifices 
to the manes of the lamented master of Calatrava. 

The battle continued with incredible obstinacy. The Moors 
knew the importance of the height to the safety of the city ; the 
cavaliers felt their honors staked to maintain it. Fresh supplies 
of troops were poured out of the city ; some battled on the height, 
while some attacked the Christians who were still in the valley 
and among the orchards and gardens, to prevent their uniting 
their forces. The troops in the valley were gradually driven 
back, and the whole host of the Moors swept around the height 
of Albohacen. The situation of the marques de Cadiz and his 
companions was perilous in the extreme : they were a mere 
handful ; and, while fighting hand to hand with the Moors who 
assailed the height, were galled from a distance by the cross- 
bows and arquebusses of a host that augmented each moment in 



THE ENGLISH CAVALIER. 241 



number. At this critical juncture, king Ferdinand emerged 
from the mountains with the main body of the army, and ad- 
vanced to an eminence commanding a full view of the field of 
action. By his side was the noble English cavalier, the earl of 
Rivers. This was the first time he had witnessed a scene of 
• Moorish warfare. He looked with eager interest at the chance- 
medley fight before him, where there was the wild career of 
cavalry, the irregular and tumultuous rush of infantry, and where 
Christian and Moor were intermingled in deadly struggle. The 
high blood of the English knight mounted at the sight, and his 
soul was stirred within him, by the confused war-cries, the clan- 
gor of drums and trumpets, and the reports of arquebusses. See- 
ing that the king was sending a reinforcement to the field, he en- 
treated permission to mingle in the affray, and fight according to 
the fashion of his country. His request being granted, he 
alighted from his steed : he was merely armed en bianco, that is 
to say, with morion, back-piece, and breast-plate ; his sword was 
girded by his side, and in his hand he wielded a powerful battle- 
axe. He was followed by a body of his yeomen, armed in like 
manner, and by a band of archers with bows made of the tough 
English yew-tree. The earl turned to his troops, and addressed 
them brie^j cCnti bluntly, according to the manner of his country. 
H Kemember, my merry men all," said he, " the eyes of strangers 
are upon you ; you are in a foreign land, fighting for the glory of 
(rod, and the honor of merry old England !" A loud shout was 
the reply. The earl waved his battle-axe over his head : " St. 
George for England !" cried he ; and to the inspiring sound of this 
old English war-cry, he and his followers rushed down to the battle 
with manly and courageous hearts.* They soon made their way 
into the midst of the enemy ; but when engaged in the hottest of 

* Cura de los Palacios, 
11 



242 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



l- 

■ 



the fight, they made no shouts nor outcries. They pressed stea- 
dily forward, dealing their blows to right and left, hewing down 
the Moors, and cutting their way, with their battle-axes, like 
woodmen in a forest ; while the archers, pressing into the open 
ing they made, plied their bows vigorously, and spread death o: 
every side. 

When the Castilian mountaineers beheld the valor of the Eng- 
lish yeomanry, they would not be outdone in hardihood. They 
could not vie with them in weight or bulk, but for vigor and acti- 
vity they were surpassed by none. They kept pace with them, 
therefore, with equal heart and rival prowess, and gave a brav 
support to the stout Englishmen. 

The Moors were confounded by the fury of these assaults, an* 
disheartened by the loss of Hamet el Zegri, who was carrie' 
wounded from the field. They gradually fell back upon th 
bridge ; the Christians followed up their advantage, and drove 
them over it tumultuously. The Moors retreated into the sub- 
urb; and lord Rivers and his troops entered with them pell-mell, 
fighting in the streets and in the houses. King Ferdinand came 
up to the scene of action with his royal guard, and the infidels 
were driven within the city walls. Thus were the suburbs gained 
by the hardihood of the English lord, without such an event hav- 
ing been premeditated.* 

The earl of Rivers, notwithstanding he had received a wound, 
still urged forward in the attack. He penetrated almost to the 
city gate, in defiance of a shower of missiles that slew many of his 
followers. A stone, hurled from the battlements, checked his 
impetuous career : it struck him in the face, dashed out two of 
his front teeth, and laid him senseless on the earth. He was re- 
moved to a short distance by his men ; but, recovering his senses, 
refused to permit himself to be taken from the suburb. 

* Cura de los Palacios. MS. 



LOXA INVESTED. 243 



When the contest was over, the streets presented a piteous 
spectacle — so many of their inhabitants had died in the defence 
of their thresholds, or been slaughtered without resistance. 
Among the victims was a poor weaver, who had been at work in 
his dwelling at this turbulent moment. His wife urged him to 
fly into the city. " Why should I fly V said the Moor—" to be 
reserved for hunger and slavery ? I tell you, wife, I will await 
the foe here ; for better is it to die quickly by the steel, than to 
perish piecemeal in chains and dungeons." He said no more, but 
resumed his occupation of weaving ; and in the indiscriminate 
fury of the assault, was slaughtered at his loom.* 

The Christians remained masters of the field, and proceeded 
to pitch three encampments for the prosecution of the siege. The 
king, with the great body of the army, took a position on the side 
of the city next to Granada : the marques of Cadiz and his brave 
companions once more pitched their tents upon the height of 
Sancto Albohacen: but the English earl planted his standard 
sturdily within the suburb he had taken. 

* Pulgar, part 3, c. 58. 



244 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XL. 

Conclusion of the siege of Loxa. 

Having possession of the heights of Albohacen and the suburb of 
the city, the Christians were enabled to choose the most favorable 
situations for their batteries. They immediately destroyed the 
stone bridge, by which the garrison had made its sallies ; and 
they threw two wooden bridges across the river, and others over 
the canals and streams, so as to establish an easy communication 
between the different camps. 

When all was arranged, a heavy lire was opened upon the 
city from various points. They threw, not only balls of stone 
and iron, but great carcasses of fire, which burst like meteors on 
the houses, wrapping them instantly in a blaze. The walls were 
shattered, and the towers toppled down, by tremendous dis- 
charges from the lombards. Through the openings thus made, 
they could behold the interior of the city — houses tumbling or in 
flames — men, women, and children, flying in terror through the 
streets, and slaughtered by the shower of missiles, sent through 
the openings from smaller artillery, and from cross-bows and ar- 
quebusses. 

The Moors attempted to repair the breaches, but fresh dis- 
charges from the lombards buried them beneath the ruins of the 
walls they were mending. In their despair, many of the inhabit- 



CAPITULATION OF LOXA. 245 



ants rushed forth into the narrow streets of the suburbs, and as- 
sailed the Christians with darts, scimetars, and poniards, seeking 
to destroy rather than defend, and heedless of death, in the con- 
fidence that to die fighting with an unbeliever, was to be trans- 
lated at once to paradise. 

For two nights and a day, this awful scene continued ; when 
certain of the principal inhabitants began to reflect upon the 
hopelessness of the conflict : their king was disabled, their prin- 
cipal captains were either killed or wounded, their fortifications 
little better than heaps of ruins. They had urged the unfortu- 
nate Boabdil to the conflict ; they now clamored for a capitula- 
tion. A parley was procured from the Christian monarch, and 
the terms of surrender were soon adjusted. They were to yield 
up the city immediately, with all their Christian captives, and to 
sally forth with as much of their property as they could take with 
them. The marques of Cadiz, on whose honor and humanity 
they had great reliance, was to escort them to Granada, to pro- 
tect them from assault or robbery : such as chose to remain in 
Spain were to be permitted to reside in Castile, Arragon, or Va- 
lencia. As to Boabdil el Chico, he was to do homage as vassal 
to king Ferdinand, but no charge was to be urged against him of 
having violated his former pledge. If he should yield up all pre- 
tensions to Granada, the title of duke of Guadix was to be as- 
signed to him, and the territory thereto annexed, provided it 
should be recovered from El Zagal within six months. 

The capitulation being arranged, they gave as hostages the 
alcayde of the city, and the principal officers, together with the 
sons of their late chieftain, the veteran Ali Atar. The warriors 
of Loxa then issued forth, humbled and dejected at having to 
surrender those walls which they had so long maintained with 
valor and renown ; and the women and children filled the air 
with lamentations, at being exiled from their native homes. 



246 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Last came forth Boabdil, most truly called El Zogoybi, the 
unlucky. Accustomed, as he was, to be crowned and uncrowned, 
to be ransomed and treated as a matter of bargain, he had acceded 
of course to the capitulation. He was enfeebled by his wounds, 
and had an air of dejection ; yet it is said, his conscience ac- 
quitted him of a breach of faith towards the Castilian sovereigns, 
and the personal valor he had displayed had caused a sympathy 
for him among many of the Christian cavaliers. He knelt to 
Ferdinand according to the forms of vassalage, and then departed, 
in melancholy mood, for Priego, a town about three leagues 
distant. 

Ferdinand immediately ordered Loxa to be repaired, and 
strongly garrisoned. He was greatly elated at the capture of 
this place, in consequence of his former defeat before its walls. 
He passed great encomiums upon the commanders who had dis- 
tinguished themselves ; and historians dwell particularly upon 
his visit to the tent of the English earl. His majesty consoled 
him for the loss of his teeth, by the consideration that he might 
otherwise have lost them by natural decay ; whereas the lack of 
them would now be esteemed a beauty, rather than a defect, 
serving as a trophy of the glorious cause in which he had been 
engaged. 

The earl replied, that he gave thanks to Grod and to the holy 
virgin, for being thus honored by a visit from the most potent 
king in Christendom ; that he accepted with all gratitude his 
gracious consolation for the loss of his teeth, though he held it 
little to lose two teeth in the service of God, who had given him 
all : — " A speech," says Fray Antonio Agapida, " full of most 
courtly wit and Christian piety ; and one only marvels that it 
should have been made by a native of an island so far distant 
from Castile." 






CAPTURE OF ILLORA. 847 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Capture of Illora. 

King Ferdinand followed up his victory at Loxa, by laying siege 
to the strong town of Illora. This redoubtable fortress was 
perched upon a high rock, in the midst of a spacious valley. It 
was within four leagues of the Moorish capital ; and its lofty 
castle, keeping vigilant watch over a wide circuit of country, was 
termed the right eye of Granada. 

The alcayde of Illora was one of the bravest of the Moorish 
commanders, and made every preparation to defend his fortress 
to the last extremity. He sent the women and children, the 
aged and infirm, to the metropolis. He placed barricades in the 
suburbs, opened doors of communication from house to house, 
and pierced their walls with loopholes for the discharge of cross- 
bows, arquebusses, and other missiles. 

King Ferdinand arrived before the place, with all his forces ; 
he stationed himself upon the hill of Encinilla, and distributed 
the other encampments in various situations, so as to invest the 
fortress. Knowing the valiant character of the alcayde, and the 
desperate courage of the Moors, he ordered the encampments to 
be fortified with trenches and pallisadoes, the guards to be 
doubled, and sentinels to be placed in all the watchtowers of the 
adjacent heights. 

When all was ready, the duke del Infantado demanded the 



248 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



attack ; it was his first campaign, and he was anxious to disprove 
the royal insinuation made against the hardihood of his embroid- 
ered chivalry. King Ferdinand granted his demand, with a 
becoming compliment to his spirit ; he ordered the count de 
Cabra to make a simultaneous attack upon a different quarter. 
Both chiefs led forth their troops ; — those of the duke in fresh 
and brilliant armor, richly ornamented, and as yet uninjured by 
the service of the field ; those of the count were weatherbeaten 
veterans, whose armor was dented and hacked in many a hard- 
fought battle. The youthful duke blushed at the contrast. u Ca- 
valiers," cried he, K we have been reproached with the finery of 
our array : let us prove that a trenchant blade may rest in a 
gilded sheath. Forward ! to the foe ! and I trust in God, that as 
we enter this affray knights well accoutred, so we shall leave it 
cavaliers well proved." His men responded by eager acclama- 
tions, and the duke led them forward to the assault. He ad- 
vanced under a tremendous shower of stones, darts, balls, and 
arrows ; but nothing could check his career ; he entered the 
suburb sword in hand ; his men fought furiously, though with 
great loss, for every dwelling had been turned into a fortress. 
After a severe conflict, they succeeded in driving the Moors into 
the town, about the same time that the other suburb was carried 
by the count de Cabra and his veterans. The troops of the 
duke del Infantado came out of the contest thinned in number, 
and covered with blood, and dust, and wounds ; they received the 
highest encomiums of the king, and there was never afterwards 
any sneer at their embroidery. 

The suburbs being taken, three batteries, each furnished with 
eight huge lombards, were opened upon the fortress. The damage 
and havoc were tremendous, for the fortifications had not been 
constructed to withstand such engines. The towers were over- 
thrown, the walls battered to pieces ; the interior of the place 



GONSALVO DE CORDOVA. 249 



was all exposed, houses were demolished, and many people slain. 
The Moors were terrified by the tumbling ruins, and the tremen- 
dous din. The alcayde had resolved to defend the place until the 
last extremity ; he beheld it a heap of rubbish ; there was no 
prospect of aid from Granada ; his people had lost all spirit to 
fight, and were vociferous for a surrender ; with a reluctant 
heart, he capitulated. The inhabitants were permitted to depart 
with all their effects, excepting their arms ; and were escorted in 
safety by the duke del Infantado and the count de Cabra, to the 
bridge of Pinos, within two leagues of Granada. 

King Ferdinand gave directions to repair the fortifications of 
Illora, and to place it in a strong state of defence. He left, as 
alcayde of the town and fortress, Gonsalvo de Cordova, younger 
brother of Don Alonzo de Aguilar. This gallant cavalier was 
captain of the royal guards of Ferdinand and Isabella, and gave 
already proofs of that prowess which afterwards rendered him so 
renowned. 



11* 



250 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XLIL 

Of the arrival of Queen Isabella at the camp before Moclin ; and of the 
pleasant sayings of the English Earl. 

The war of Granada, however poets may embroider it with the 
flowers of their fancy, was certainly one of the sternest of those 
iron conflicts which have been celebrated under the name of holy 
wars. The worthy Fray Antonio Agapida dwells with unsated 
delight upon the succession of rugged mountain enterprises, 
bloody battles, and merciless sackings and ravages, which charac- 
terized it ; yet we find him on one occasion pausing in the full 
career of victory over the infidels, to detail a stately pageant of 
the Catholic sovereigns. 

Immediately on the capture of Loxa, Ferdinand had written 
to Isabella, soliciting her presence at the camp, that he might 
consult with her as to the disposition of their newly-acquired 
territories. 

It was in the early part of June, that the queen departed 
from Cordova, with the princess Isabella and numerous ladies of 
her court. She had a glorious attendance of cavaliers and pages, 
with many guards and domestics. There were forty mules, for 
the use of the queen, the princess, and their train. 

As this courtly cavalcade approached the Rock of the Lovers, 
on the banks of the river Yeguas, they beheld a splendid train of 
knights advancing to meet them. It was headed by that accom- 






STATELY PROGRESS OF ISABELLA. 251 



plished cavalier the marques duke de Cadiz, accompanied by the 
adelantado of Andalusia. He had left the camp the day after 
the capture of Illora, and advanced thus far to receive the queen 
and escort her over the borders. The queen received the mar- 
ques with distinguished honor ; for he was esteemed the mirror of 
chivalry. His actions in this war had become the theme of every 
tongue, and many hesitated not to compare him in prowess with 
the immortal Cid. # 

Thus gallantly attended, the queen entered the vanquished 
frontier of Granada ; journeying securely along the pleasant 
banks of the Xenel, so lately subject to the scour ings of the 
Moors. She stopped at Loxa, where she administered aid and 
consolation to the wounded, distributing money among them for 
their support, according to their rank. 

The king, after the capture of Illora, had removed his camp 
before the fortress of Moclin, with an intention of besieging it. 
Thither the queen proceeded, still escorted through the mountain 
roads by the marques of Cadiz. As Isabella drew near to the 
camp, the duke del Infantado issued forth a league and a half to 
receive her, magnificently arrayed, and followed by all his chiv- 
alry in glorious attire. With him came the standard of Seville, 
borne by the men-at-arms of that renowned city ; and the Prior 
of St. Juan, with his followers. They ranged themselves in 
order of battle, on the left of the road by which the queen was to 
pass. 

The worthy Agapida is loyally minute, in his description of 
the state and grandeur of the Catholic sovereigns. The queen 
rode a chestnut mule, seated in a magnificent saddle-chair decora- 
ted with silver gilt. The housings of the mule were of fine 
crimson cloth ; the borders embroidered with gold ; the reins and 

* Cura de los Palacios. 



252 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



head-piece were of satin, curiously embossed with needlework of 
silk, and wrought with golden letters. The queen wore a brial 
or regal skirt of velvet, under which were others of brocade ; a 
scarlet mantle, ornamented in the Moresco fashion ; and a black 
hat, embroidered round the crown and brim. 

The Infanta was likewise mounted on a chestnut mule, richly 
caparisoned : she wore a brial or skirt of black brocade, and a 
black mantle ornamented like that of the queen. 

When the royal cavalcade passed by the chivalry of the duke 
del Infantado, which was drawn out in battle array, the queen 
made a reverence to the standard of Seville, and ordered it to 
pass to the right hand. When she approached the camp, the 
multitude ran forth to meet her, with great demonstrations of 
joy ; for she was universally beloved by her subjects. All the 
battalions sallied forth in military array, bearing the various 
standards and banners of the camp, which were lowered in salu- 
tation as she passed. 

The king now came forth in royal state, mounted on a superb 
chestnut horse, and attended by many grandees of Castile. He 
wore a jubon or close vest of crimson cloth, with cuisses or short 
skirts of yellow satin, a loose cassock of brocade, a rich Moorish 
scimetar, and a hat with plumes. The grandees who attended 
him were arrayed with wonderful magnificence, each according to 
his taste and invention. 

These high and mighty princes (says Antonio Agapida) re- 
garded each other with great deference, as allied sovereigns, 
rather than with connubial familiarity as mere husband and wife. 
When they approached each other, therefore, before embracing, 
they made three profound reverences ; the queen taking off her 
hat, and remaining in a silk net or cawl, with her face uncovered. 
The king then approached and embraced her, and kissed her re- 
spectfully on the cheek. He also embraced his daughter the prin- 



THE SOVEREIGNS AND THE ENGLISH EARL. 253 



cess ; and, making the sign of the cross, he blessed her, and kissed 
her on the lips.* 

The good Agapida seems scarcely to have been more struck 
with the appearance of the sovereigns, than with that of the 
English earl. He followed (says he) immediately after the king, 
with great pomp, and, in an extraordinary manner, taking pre- 
cedence of all the rest. He was mounted " a la guisa" or with 
long stirrups, on a superb chestnut horse, with trappings of azure 
silk which reached to the ground. The housings were of mul- 
berry, powdered with stars of gold. He was armed in proof, and 
wore over his armor a short French mantle of black brocade ; he 
had a white French hat with plumes, and carried on his left arm 
a small round buckler, banded with gold. Five pages attended 
him, apparelled in silk and brocade, and mounted on horses 
sumptuously caparisoned ; he had also a train of followers, 
bravely attired after the fashion of his country. 

He advanced in a chivalrous and courteous manner, making 
his reverences first to the queen and Infanta, and after- 
wards to the king. Queen Isabella received him graciously, com- 
plimenting him on his courageous conduct at Loxa, and condoling 
with him on the loss of his teeth. The earl, however, made light 
of his disfiguring wound ; saying, that " our blessed Lord, who 
had built all that house, had opened a window there, that he might 
see more readily what passed within ;"f whereupon the worthy 
Fray Antonio Agapida is more than ever astonished at the preg- 
nant wit of this island cavalier. The earl continued some little 
distance by the side of the royal family, complimenting them all 
with courteous speeches, his horse curveting and caracoling, but 
being managed with great grace and dexterity ; leaving the gran- 
dees and the people at large, not more filled with admiration at 

* Cura de los Palacios. t Ptetro Martyr. Epist. 61. 



254 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the strangeness and magnificence of his state, than at the excel- 
lence of his horsemanship.* 

To testify her sense of the gallantry and services of this 
noble English knight, who had come from so far to assist in their 
wars, the queen sent him the next day presents of twelve horses, 
with stately tents, fine linen, two beds with coverings of gold bro- 
cade, and many other articles of great value. 

Having refreshed himself, as it were, with the description of 
this progress of queen Isabella to the camp, and the glorious 
pomp of the Catholic sovereigns, the worthy Antonio Agapida re- 
turns with renewed relish to his pious work of discomfiting the 
Moors. 

The description of this royal pageant, and the particulars 
concerning the English earl, thus given from the manuscript of 
Fray Antonio Agapida, agree precisely with the chronicle of An- 
dres Bernaldes, the curate of los Palacios. The English earl 
makes no further figure in this war. It appears from various 
histories, that he returned in the course of the year to England. 
In the following year, his passion for fighting took him to the 
continent at the head of four hundred adventurers, in aid of 
Francis duke of Brittany, against Louis XI. of France. He was 
killed in the same year [1488] in the battle of St. Alban's, be- 
tween the Bretons and the French. 

* Cura de los Palacios. 



FERDINAND'S ATTACK ON MOCLIN. 255 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

How King Ferdinand attacked Moclin, and of the strange events that 
attended its capture. 

" The Catholic sovereigns," says Fray Antonio Agapida, " had 
by this time closely clipped the right wing of the Moorish vul- 
ture." In other words, most of the strong fortresses along the 
western frontier of Granada had fallen beneath the Christian 
artillery. The army now lay encamped before the town of Moc- 
lin, on the frontier of Jaen, one of the most stubborn fortresses 
of the border. It stood on a high rocky hill, the base of which 
was nearly girdled by a river : a thick forest protected the back 
part of the town, towards the mountain. Thus strongly situated, 
it domineered, with its frowning battlements and massive towers, 
all the mountain passes into that part of the country, and was 
called " the shield of Granada." It had a double arrear of blood 
to settle with the Christians ; two hundred years before, a master 
of Santiago and all his cavaliers had been lanced by the Moors 
before its gates. It had recently made terrible slaughter among 
the troops of the good count de Cabra, in his precipitate attempt 
to entrap the old Moorish monarch. The pride of Ferdinand 
had been piqued by being obliged on that occasion to recede from 
his plan, and abandon his concerted attack on the place ; he was 
now prepared to take a full revenge. 



256 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



El Zagal, the old warrior king of Granada, anticipating a 
second attempt, had provided the place with ample ammunitions 
and provisions ; had ordered trenches to be digged, and addi- 
tional bulwarks thrown up ; and caused all the old men, the 
women, and the children, to be removed to the capital. 

Such was the strength of the fortress, and the difficulties of 
its position, that Ferdinand anticipated much trouble in reducing 
it, and made every preparation for a regular siege. In the 
centre of his camp were two great mounds, one of sacks of flour, 
the other of grain, which were called the royal granary. Three 
batteries of heavy ordnance were opened against the citadel and 
principal towers, while smaller artillery, engines for the discharge 
of missiles, arquebusses and cross-bows, were distributed in vari- 
ous places, to keep up a fire into any breaches that might be 
made, and upon those of the garrison who should appear on the 
battlements. 

The lombards soon made an impression on the works, demol- 
ishing a part of the wall, and tumbling down several of those 
haughty towers, which from their height had been impregnable 
before the invention of gunpowder. The Moors repaired their 
walls as well as they were able, and, still confiding in the strength 
of their situation, kept up a resolute defence, firing down from 
their lofty battlements and towers upon the Christian camp. For 
two nights and a day an incessant fire was kept up, so that there 
was not a moment in which the roaring of ordnance was not 
heard, or some damage sustained by the Christians or the Moors. 
It was a conflict, however, more of engineers and artillerists than 
of gallant cavaliers ; there was no sally of troops, nor shock of 
armed men, nor rush and charge of cavalry. The knights stood 
looking on with idle weapons, waiting until they should have an 
opportunity of signalizing their prowess by scaling the walls, or 
storming the breaches. As the place, however, was assailable 



THE CATHOLIC ARMY IN MOCLIN. 257 



only in one part, there was every prospect of a long and obstinate 
resistance. 

The engineers, as usual, discharged not merely balls of stone 
and iron, to demolish the walls, but naming balls of inextinguish- 
able combustibles, designed to set fire to the houses. One of 
these, which passed high through the air like a meteor, sending 
out sparks and crackling as it went, entered the window of a 
tower which was used as a magazine of gunpowder. The tower 
blew up, with a tremendous explosion ; the Moors who were upon 
its battlements were hurled into the air, and fell mangled in 
various parts of the town ; and the houses in its vicinity were 
rent and overthrown as with an earthquake. 

The Moors, who had never witnessed an explosion of the 
kind, ascribed the destruction of the tower to a miracle. Some 
who had seen the descent of the flaming ball, imagined that fire 
had fallen from heaven to punish them for their pertinacity. The 
pious Agapida, himself, believes that this fiery missive was con- 
ducted by divine agency to confound the infidels ; an opinion in 
which he is supported by other Catholic historians.* 

Seeing heaven and earth as it were combined against them, 
the Moors lost all heart : they capitulated, and were permitted to 
depart with their effects, leaving behind all arms and munitions 
of war. 

The Catholic army (says Antonio Agapida) entered Moclin 
in solemn state, not as a licentious host, intent upon plunder 
and desolation, but as a band of Christian warriors, coming to 
purify and regenerate the laud. The standard of the cross, that 
ensign of this holy crusade, was borne in the advance, followed 
by the other banners of the army. Then came the king and 

* Pulgar, Garibay, Lucio Marino Siculo, Cosas Memoral. de Hispan. lib. 



258 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



queen, at the head of a vast number of armed cavaliers. They 
were accompanied by a band of priests and friars, with the choir 
of the royal chapel, chanting the canticle " Te deum laudamus" 
As they were moving through the streets in this solemn manner, 
every sound hushed excepting the anthem of the choir, they 
suddenly heard, issuing as it were from under ground, a chorus of 
voices chanting in solemn response, " Benedictum qui venit in 
nomine domini"* The procession paused in wonder. The 
sounds rose from Christian captives, and among them several 
priests who were confined in subterraneous dungeons. 

The heart of Isabella was greatly touched. She ordered the 
captives to be drawn forth from their cells, and was still more 
moved at beholding, by their wan, discolored, and emaciated 
appearance, how much they had suffered. Their hair and beards 
were overgrown and shagged ; they were wasted by hunger, half 
naked, and in chains. She ordered that they should be clothed 
and cherished, and money furnished them to bear them to their 
homes, t 

Several of the captives were brave cavaliers, who had been 
wounded and made prisoners, in the defeat of the count de Cabra 
by El Zagal, in the preceding year. There were also found other 
melancholy traces of that disastrous affair. On visiting the 
narrow pass where the defeat had taken place, the remains of 
several Christian warriors were found in thickets, or hidden be- 
hind rocks, or in the clefts of the mountains. These were some 
who had been struck from their horses, and wounded too severely 
to fly. They had crawled away from the scene of action, and 
concealed themselves to avoid falling into the hands of the 
enemy, and had thus perished miserably and alone. The re- 
mains of those of note were known by their armor and devices, 

* Marino Siculo. t Ulescas, Hist. Pontif. lib. 6, c. 20, § 1. 



PIOUS MINISTRATIONS OF ISABELLA. 259 



and were mourned over by their companions who had shared the 
disasters of that day.* 

The queen had these remains piously collected, as the relics 
of so many martyrs who had fallen in the cause of the faith. 
They were interred with great solemnity in the mosques of 
Moclin, which had been purified and consecrated to Christian 
worship. " There," says Antonio Agapida, " rest the bones of 
those truly Catholic knights, in the holy ground which in a 
manner had been sanctified by their blood ; and all pilgrims 
passing through those mountains offer up prayers and masses for 
the repose of their souls." 

The queen remained for some time at Moclin, administering 
comfort to the wounded and the prisoners, bringing the newly 
acquired territory into order, and founding churches and monas- 
teries and other pious institutions. " While the king marched in 
front, laying waste the land of the Philistines," says the figu- 
rative Antonio Agapida, " queen Isabella followed his traces as 
the binder follows the reaper, gathering and garnering the rich 
harvest that has fallen beneath his sickle. In this she was 
greatly assisted by the counsels of that cloud of bishops, friars, 
and other saintly men, which continually surrounded her, gar- 
nering the first fruits of this infidel land into the granaries of 
the church." Leaving her thus piously employed, the king pur- 
sued his career of conquest, determined to lay waste the vega, 
and carry fire and sword to the very gates of Granada. 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 61. 



260 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

How King Ferdinand foraged the Vega ; and of the battle of the Bridge of 
Pinos, and the fate of the two Moorish brothers. 

Muley Abdallah El Zagal had been under a spell of ill for- 
tune, ever since the suspicious death of the old king his brother. 
Success had deserted his standard ; and, with his fickle subjects, 
want of success was one of the greatest crimes in a sovereign. He 
found his popularity declining, and he lost all confidence in his 
people. The Christian army marched in open defiance through 
his territories, and sat down deliberately before his fortresses ; 
yet he dared not lead forth his legions to oppose them, lest the 
inhabitants of the Albaycin, ever ripe for a revolt, should rise 
and shut the gates of Granada against his return. 

Every few days, some melancholy train entered the metropolis, 
the inhabitants of some captured town bearing the few effects 
spared them, and weeping and bewailing the desolation of their 
homes. When the tidings arrived that Illora and Moclin had 
fallen, the people were seized with consternation. " The right 
eye of Granada is extinguished," exclaimed they ; " the shield of 
Granada is broken : what shall protect us from the inroad of the 
foe?" When the survivors of the garrisons of those towns 
arrived, with downcast looks, bearing the marks of battle, and 
destitute of arms and standards, the populace reviled them in 






THE HEROIC MOORISH BROTHERS. 261 



their wrath ; but they answered, " We fought as long as we had 
force to fight, or walls to shelter us ; but the Christians laid our 
town and battlements in ruins, and we looked in vain for aid 
from Granada." 

The alcaydes of Illora and Moclin were brothers ; they were 
alike in prowess, and the bravest among the Moorish cavaliers. 
They had been the most distinguished in those tilts and tourneys 
which graced the happier days of Granada, and had distinguished 
themselves in the sterner conflicts of the field. Acclamation had 
always followed their banners, and they had long been the delight 
of the people. Yet now, when they returned after the capture of 
their fortresses, they were followed by the unsteady populace with 
execrations. The hearts of the alcaydes swelled with indigna- 
tion ; they found the ingratitude of their countrymen still more 
intolerable than the hostility of the Christians. 

Tidings came, that the enemy was advancing with his trium- 
phant legions to lay waste the country about Granada. Still El 
Zagal did not dare to take the field. The two alcaydes of Illora 
and Moclin stood before him : " We have defended your for- 
tresses," said they, " until we were almost buried under their 
ruins, and for our reward we receive scoflings and revilings ; give 
us, oh king, an opportunity where knightly valor may signalize 
itself, not shut up behind stone walls, but in the open conflict of 
the field. The enemy approaches to lay our country desolate : 
give us men to meet him in the advance, and let shame light upon 
our heads if we be found wanting in the battle !" 

The two brothers were sent forth, with a large force of horse 
and foot ; El Zagal intended, should they be successful, to issue 
forth with his whole force, and by a decisive victory, repair the 
losses he had suffered. When the people saw the well-known 
standards of the brothers going forth to battle, there was a feeble 
shout ; but the alcaydes passed on with stern countenances, for 



262 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



they knew the same voices would curse them were they to return 
unfortunate. They cast a farewell look upon fair Granada, and 
upon the beautiful fields of their infancy, as if for these they 
were willing to lay down their lives, but not for an ungrateful 
people. 

The army of Ferdinand had arrived within two leagues of 
Granada, at the Bridge of Pinos, a pass famous in the wars of the 
Moors and Christians for many a bloody conflict. It was the 
pass by which the Castilian monarchs generally made their 
inroads, and was capable of great defence, from the ruggedness 
of the country and the difficulty of the bridge. The king, with 
the main body of the army, had attained the brow of a hill, 
when they beheld the advance guard, under the marques of Cadiz 
and the master of Santiago, furiously attacked by the enemy, in 
the vicinity of the bridge. The Moors rushed to the assault with 
their usual shouts, but with more than usual ferocity. There 
was a hard struggle at the bridge ; both parties knew the im- 
portance of that pass. 

The king particularly noted the prowess of two Moorish cava- 
liers, alike in arms and devices, and whom by their bearing and 
attendance he perceived to be commanders of the enemy. They 
were the two brothers, the alcaydes of Illora and Moclin. Wher- 
ever they turned, they carried confusion and death into the ranks 
of the Christians ; but they fought with desperation, rather than 
valor. The count de Cabra, and his brother Don Martin de Cor- 
dova, pressed forward with eagerness against them ; but having 
advanced too precipitately, were surrounded by the foe, and in 
imminent danger. A young Christian knight, seeing their peril, 
hastened with his followers to their relief. The king recognized 
him for Don Juan de Arragon, count of Eibargoza, his own ne- 
phew ; for he was illegitimate son of the duke of Villahermosa, 
illegitimate brother of king Ferdinand. The splendid armor of 






FATE OF THE TWO BROTHERS. 



Don Juan, and the sumptuous caparison of his steed, rendered 
him a brilliant object of attack. He was assailed on all sides, 
and his superb steed slain under him ; yet still he fought valiant- 
ly, bearing for a time the brunt of the fight, and giving the ex- 
hausted forces of the count de Cabra time to recover breath. 

Seeing the peril of these troops and the general obstinacy of 
the fight, the king ordered the royal standard to be advanced, 
and hastened, with all his forces, to the relief of the count de Ca- 
bra. At his approach, the enemy gave way, and retreated to- 
wards the bridge. The two Moorish commanders endeavored to 
rally their troops, and animate them to defend this pass to the 
utmost: they used prayers, remonstrances, menaces — but almost 
in vain. They could only collect a scanty handful of cavaliers ; 
with these they planted themselves at the head of the bridge, and 
disputed it inch by inch. The fight was hot and obstinate, for 
but few could contend hand to hand, yet many discharged cross- 
bows and arquebusses from the banks. The river was covered 
with the floating bodies of the slain. The Moorish band of cava- 
liers was almost entirely cut to pieces ; the two brothers fell, cov- 
ered with wounds, upon the bridge they had so resolutely defend- 
ed. They had given up the battle for lost, but had determined 
not to return alive to ungrateful Granada. 

When the people of the capital heard how devotedly they had 
fallen, they lamented greatly their deaths, and extolled their 
memory : a column was erected to their honor in the vicinity of 
the bridge, which long went by the name of " the Tomb of the 
Brothers." 

The army of Ferdinand now marched on, and established its 
camp in the vicinity of Granada. The worthy Agapida gives 
many triumphant details of the ravages committed in the vega, 
which was again laid waste ; the grain, fruits, and other produc- 
tions of the earth, destroyed — and that earthly paradise rendered 



264 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



a dreary desert. He narrates several fierce but ineffectual sal- 
lies and skirmishes of the Moors, in defence of their favorite 
plain ; among which, one deserves to be mentioned, as it records 
the achievements of one of the saintly heroes of this war. 

During one of the movements of the Christian army, near the 
walls of Granada, a battalion of fifteen hundred cavalry, and a 
large force of foot, had sallied from the city, and posted them- 
selves near some gardens, which were surrounded by a canal, and 
traversed by ditches, for the purpose of irrigation. 

The Moors beheld the duke del Infantado pass by, with his 
two splendid battalions ; one of men-at-arms, the other of light 
cavalry, armed a la gineta. In company with him, but following 
as a rear-guard, was Don Garcia Osorio, the belligerent bishop of 
Jaen, attended by Francisco Bovadillo, the corregidor of his city, 
and followed by two squadrons of men-at-arms, from Jaen, An- 
duxar, Ubeda, and Baeza.* The success of last year's campaign 
had given the good bishop an inclination for warlike affairs, and 
he had once more buckled on his cuirass. 

The Moors were much given to stratagem in warfare. They 
looked wistfully at the magnificent squadrons of the duke del In- 
fantado j but their martial discipline precluded all attack : the 
good bishop promised to be a more easy prey. Suffering the 
duke and his troops to pass unmolested, they approached the 
squadrons of the bishop, and, making a pretended attack, skir- 
mished slightly, and fled in apparent confusion. The bishop con- 
sidered the day his own, and, seconded by his corregidor Bova- 
dillo, followed with valorous precipitation. The Moors fled into 
the Huerta del Rey, or orchard of the king ; the troops of the 
bishop followed hotly after them. 

When the Moors perceived their pursuers fairly embarrassed 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 62. 



NARROW ESCAPE OF THE BISHOP. 



among the intricacies of the garden, they turned fiercely upon 
them, while some of their number threw open the sluices of the 
Xenel. In an instant, the canal which encircled and the ditches 
which traversed the garden, were filled with water, and the va- 
liant bishop and his followers found themselves overwhelmed by 
a deluge.* A scene of great confusion succeeded. Some of the 
men of Jaen, stoutest of heart and hand, fought with the Moors 
in the garden, while others struggled with the water, endeavoring 
to escape across the canal, in which attempt many horses were 
drowned. 

Fortunately, the duke del Infantado perceived the snare into 
which his companions had fallen, and dispatched his light cavalry 
to their assistance. The Moors were compelled to flight, and 
driven along the road of Elvira up to the gates of Granada.* Se- 
veral Christian cavaliers perished in this affray ; the bishop him- 
self escaped with difficulty, having slipped from his saddle in 
crossing the canal, but saving himself by holding on to the tail of 
his charger. This perilous achievement seems to have satisfied 
the good bishop's belligerent propensities. He retired on his 
laurels, (says Agapida,) to his city of Jaen ; where, in the fruition 
of all good things, he gradually waxed too corpulent for his corse- 
let, which was hung up in the hall of his episcopal palace ; and 
we hear no more of his military deeds, throughout the residue of 
the holy war of Granada, f 

King Ferdinand having completed his ravage of the vega, and 
kept El Zagal shut up in his capital, conducted his army back 
through the pass of Lope to rejoin queen Isabella at Moclin. 

* Pulgar. 

f " Don Luis Osorio fue obispo de Jaen desde el ano de 1483, y presidio 
in esta Iglesia hasta el de 1496 in que murio en Flandes, a donde fue acom- 
panando a la princesa Dona Juana, esposa del archiduque Don Felipe." — 
Espana Sagrada, por Fr. M. Risco, torn. 41, trat. 77, cap. 4. 
12 



266 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The fortresses lately taken being well garrisoned and supplied, 
he gave the command of the frontier to his cousin, Don Fadrique 
de Toledo, afterwards so famous in the Netherlands as the duke 
of Alva. The campaign being thus completely crowned with 
success, the sovereigns returned in triumph to the city of Cor- 
dova. 



EL ZAGAL'S ATTEMPT ON BOABDIL. 267 



CHAPTER XLV. 

Attempt of El Zagal upon the life of Boabdil, and how the latter was roused 

to action. 

No sooner did the last squadron of Christian cavalry disappear 
behind the mountains of Elvira, and the note of its trumpets die 
away upon the ear, than the long-suppressed wrath of Muley El 
Zagal burst forth. He determined no longer to be half a king, 
reigning over a divided kingdom, in a divided capital ; but to ex- 
terminate, by any means, fair or foul, his nephew Boabdil and his 
faction. He turned furiously upon those whose factious conduct 
had deterred him from sallying upon the foe ; some he punished 
by confiscations, others by banishment, others by death. Once 
undisputed monarch of the entire kingdom, he trusted to his mi- 
litary skill to retrieve his fortunes, and drive the Christians over 
the frontier. 

Boabdil, however, had again retired to Velez el Blanco, on 
the confines of Murcia, where he could avail himself, in case of 
emergency, of any assistance or protection afforded him by the 
policy of Ferdinand. His defeat had blighted his reviving for- 
tunes, for the people considered him as inevitably doomed to 
misfortune. Still, while he lived, El Zagal knew he would be a 
rallying point for faction, and liable at any moment to be ele- 
vated into power by the capricious multitude. He had recourse 
therefore to the most perfidious means, to compass his destruc- 



268 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



tion. He sent ambassadors to him, representing the necessity of 
concord for the salvation of the kingdom, and even offering to 
resign the title of king, and to become subject to his sway, on re-* 
ceiving some estate on which he could live in tranquil retirement. 
But while the ambassadors bore these words of peace, they were 
furnished with poisoned herbs, which they were to administer se- 
cretly to Boabdil ; and if they failed in this attempt, they had 
pledged themselves to dispatch him openly, while engaged in 
conversation. They were instigated to this treason by promises 
of great reward, and by assurances from the alfaquis that Boab- 
dil was an apostate, whose death would be acceptable to Heaven. 

The young monarch was secretly apprised of the concerted 
treason, and refused an audience to the ambassadors. He de- 
nounced his uncle as the murderer of his father and his kindred, 
and the usurper of his throne ; and vowed never to relent in hos- 
tility to him, until he should place his head on the walls of the 
Alhambra. 

Open war again broke out between the two monarchs, though 
feebly carried on, in consequence of their mutual embarrassments. 
Ferdinand again extended his assistance to Boabdil, ordering the 
commanders of his fortresses to aid him in all enterprises against 
his uncle, and against such places as refused to acknowledge him 
as king ; and Don Juan de Bonavides, who commanded in Lorca, 
even made inroads in his name, into the territories of Almeria, 
Baza, and Guadix, which owned allegiance to El Zagal. 

The unfortunate Boabdil had three great evils to contend with 
— the inconstancy of his subjects, the hostility of his uncle, and 
the friendship of Ferdinand. The last was by far the most bane- 
ful : his fortunes withered under it. He was looked upon as the 
enemy of his faith and of his country. The cities shut their 
gates against him ; the people cursed him ; even the scanty band 
of cavaliers, who had hitherto followed his ill-starred banner, be- 



APPEAL OF THE SULTANA. 269 



gan to desert him ; for lie had not wherewithal to reward, nor 
even to support them. His spirits sank with his fortune, and he 
feared that in a little time he should not have a spot of earth 
whereon to plant his standard, nor an adherent to rally under it. 

In the midst of his despondency, he received a message from 
his lion-hearted mother, the sultana Ayxa la Horra. It was 
brought by the steadfast adherent to their fortunes, Aben Co- 
mixa. " For shame," said she, " to linger timorously about the 
borders of your kingdom, when a usurper is seated in your capi- 
tal. Why look abroad for perfidious aid, when you have loyal 
hearts beating true to you in Granada ? The Albaycin is ready 
to throw open its gates to receive you. Strike home vigorously — 
a sudden blow may mend all, or make an end. A throne or a 
grave ! — for a king there is no honorable medium." 

Boabdil was of an undecided character, but there are circum- 
stances which bring the most wavering to a decision, and when 
once resolved they are apt to act with a daring impulse, unknown 
to steadier judgments. The message of the sultana roused him 
from a dream. Granada, beautiful Granada, with its stately Al- 
hambra, its delicious gardens, its gushing and limpid fountains 
sparkling among groves of orange, citron, and myrtle, rose before 
him. " What have I done," exclaimed he, " that I should be an 
exile from this paradise of my forefathers — a wanderer and fugi- 
tive in my own kingdom, while a murderous usurper sits proudly 
upon my throne? Surely Allah will befriend the righteous 
cause ; one blow, and all may be my own." 

He summoned his scanty band of cavaliers. " Who is ready 
to follow his monarch unto the death ?" said he : and every one 
laid his hand upon his scimetar. " Enough !" said he ; " let each 
man arm himself and prepare his steed in secret, for an enterprise 
of toil and peril : if we succeed, our reward is empire." 



270 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 




CHAPTER XLVI. 

How Boabdil returned secretly to Granada, and how he was received. — 
Second embassy of Don Juan de Vera, and his perils in the Alhambra. 

" In the hand of God," exclaims an old Arabian chronicler, " is 
the destiny of princes ; he alone giveth empire. A Moorish 
horseman, mounted on a fleet Arabian steed, was one day tra- 
versing the mountains which extend between Granada and the 
frontier of Murcia. He galloped swiftly through the valleys, but 
paused and looked out cautiously from the summit of every 
height. A squadron of cavaliers followed warily at a distance. 
There were fifty lances. The richness of their armor and attire 
showed them to be warriors of noble rank, and their leader had a 
lofty and prince-like demeanor." The squadron thus described 
by the Arabian chronicler, was the Moorish king Boabdil and his 
devoted followers 

For two nights and a day they pursued their adventurous 
journey, avoiding all populous parts of the country, and choosing 
the most solitary passes of the mountains. They suffered severe 
hardships and fatigues, but suffered without a murmur : they 
were accustomed to rugged campaigning, and their steeds were of 
generous and unyielding spirit. It was midnight, and all was 
dark and silent as they descended from the mountains, and ap- 
proached the city of Granada. They passed along quietly under 
the shadow of its walls, until they arrived near the gate of the 



BOABDIL'S SECRET RETURN. 271 



Albaycin. Here Boabdil ordered his followers to halt, and re- 
main concealed. Taking but four or five with him, he advanced 
resolutely to the gate, and knocked with the hilt of his scimetar. 
The guards demanded who sought to enter at that unseasonable 
hour. " Your king !" exclaimed Boabdil, " open the gate and 
admit him !" 

The guards held forth a light, and recognized the person of 
the youthful monarch. They were struck with sudden awe, and 
threw open the gates ; and Boabdil and his followers entered un- 
molested. They galloped to the dwellings of the principal in- 
habitants of the Albaycin, thundering at their portals, and sum- 
moning them to rise and take arms for their rightful sovereign. 
The summons was instantly obeyed : trumpets resounded through- 
out the streets — the gleam of torches and the flash of arms 
showed the Moors hurrying to their gathering-places — by day- 
break, the whole force of the Albaycin was rallied under the 
standard of Boabdil, and Aben Comixa was made alcayde of the 
fortress. Such was the success of this sudden and desperate act 
of the young monarch ; for we are assured by contemporary his- 
torians, that there had been no previous concert or arrangement. 
" As the guards opened the gates of the city to admit him," ob- 
serves a pious chronicler, " so God opened the hearts of the 
Moors to receive him as their king."* 

In the morning early, the tidings of this event roused El 
Zagal from his slumbers in the Alhambra. The fiery old war- 
rior assembled his guard in haste, and made his way sword in 
hand to the Albaycin, hoping to come upon his nephew by sur- 
prise. He was vigorously met by Boabdil and his adherents, and 
driven back into the quarter of the Alhambra. An encounter 
took place between the two kings, in the square before the prin- 

* Pulgar. 



272 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



cipal mosque ; here they fought hand to hand with implacable 
fury, as though it had been agreed to decide their competition 
for the crown by single combat. In the tumult of this chance- 
medley affray, however, they were separated, and the party of El 
Zagal was ultimately driven from the square. 

The battle raged for some time in the streets and places of 
the city, but finding their powers of mischief cramped within 
such narrow limits, both parties sallied forth into the fields, and 
fought beneath the walls until evening. Many fell on both sides, 
and at night each party withdrew into its quarter, until the morn- 
ing gave them light to renew the unnatural conflict. For several 
days, the two grand divisions of the city remained like hostile 
powers arrayed against each other. The party of the Alhambra 
was more numerous than that of the Albaycin, and contained 
most of the nobility and chivalry ; but the adherents of Boabdil 
were men hardened and strengthened by labor, and habitually 
skilled in the exercise of arms. 

The Albaycin underwent a kind of siege by the forces of El 
Zagal; they effected breaches in the walls, and made repeated 
attempts to carry it sword in hand, but were as often repulsed. 
The troops of Boabdil, on the other hand, made frequent sallies ; 
and in the conflicts which took place, the hatred of the comba- 
tants arose to such a pitch of fury, that no quarter was given on 
either side. 

Boabdil perceived the inferiority of his force ; he dreaded 
also that his adherents, being for the most part tradesmen and 
artisans, would become impatient of this interruption of their 
gainful occupations, and disheartened by these continual scenes of 
carnage. He sent missives, therefore, in all haste, to Don Fadri- 
que de Toledo, who commanded the Christian forces on the 
frontier, entreating his assistance. 

Don Fadrique had received instructions from the politic Fer- 



SECOND EMBASSY OF DE VERA. 273 



dinand, to aid the youthful monarch in all his contests with his 
uncle. He advanced with a body of troops near to Granada. 
The moment Boabdil discerned, from the towers of the Albaycin, 
the Christian banners and lances winding round the base of the 
mountain of Elvira, he sallied forth to meet them, escorted by a 
squadron of Abencerrages under Aben Comixa. El Zagal, who 
was equally on the alert, and apprised that the Christian troops 
came in aid of his nephew, likewise sallied forth and drew up his 
troops in battle array. Don Fadrique, wary lest some treachery 
should be intended, halted among some plantations of olives, re- 
tained Boabdil by his side, and signified his wish that Aben Co- 
mixa would advance with his squadron and offer battle to the old 
king. The provocation was given, but El Zagal maintained his 
position. He threw out some light parties, however, which skir- 
mished with the Abencerrages of Aben Comixa, after which he 
caused his trumpets to sound a recall, and retired into the city ; 
mortified, it is said, that the Christian cavaliers should witness 
these fratricidal discords between true believers, 

Don Fadrique, still distrustful, drew off to a distance, and en- 
camped for the night near the bridge of Cabillas. 

Early in the morning, a Moorish cavalier with an escort, ap- 
proached the advance guard, and his trumpets sounded a parley. 
He craved an audience, as an envoy from El Zagal, and was ad- 
mitted to the tent of Don Fadrique. El Zagal had learnt that 
the Christian troops had come to aid his nephew, and now offered 
to enter into an alliance with them on terms still more advan- 
tageous than those of Boabdil. The wary Don Fadrique listened 
to the Moor with apparent complacency, but determined to send 
one of his most intrepid and discreet cavaliers, under the protec- 
tion of a flag, to hold a conference with the old king within the 
very walls of the Alhambra. The officer chosen for this import- 
ant mission was Don Juan de Vera, the same stanch and de- 
12* 



274 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



vout cavalier, who in times preceding the war had borne the 
message from the Castilian sovereigns, to old Muley Abul Hassan, 
demanding arrears of tribute. Don Juan was received with great 
ceremony by the king. No records remain of his diplomatic ne- 
gotiations, but they extended into the night, and it being too late 
to return to camp, he was sumptuously lodged in an apartment of 
the Alhambra. In the morning, one of the courtiers about the 
palace, somewhat given to jest and raillery, invited Don Juan to 
a ceremony which some of the alfaquis were about to celebrate 
in the mosque of the palace. The religious punctilio of this 
most discreet cavalier immediately took umbrage at what he con- 
ceived a banter. " The servants of queen Isabella of Castile," 
replied he stiffly and sternly, " who bear on their armor the cross 
of St. Jago, never enter the temples of Mahomet, but to level 
them to the earth, and trample on them." 

The Moslem courtier retired somewhat disconcerted by this 
Catholic, but not very courteous reply, and reported it to a rene- 
gado of Antiquera. The latter, eager, like all renegadoes, to show 
devotion to his newly adopted creed, volunteered to return with 
the courtier and have a tilt of words with the testy diplomatist. 
They found Don Juan playing a game of chess with the alcayde 
of the Alhambra, and took occasion to indulge in sportive com- 
ments on some of the mysteries of the Christian religion. The 
ire of this devout knight and discreet ambassador began to 
kindle ; but he restrained it within the limits of lofty gravity. 
il You would do well," said he, " to cease talking about what you 
do not understand." This only provoked light attacks of the 
witlings ; until one of them dared to make some degrading and 
obscene comparison between the Blessed Virgin and Amina, the 
mother of Mahomet. In an instant Don Juan sprang to his 
feet, dashed chess-board and chess-men aside, and drawing his 
sword, dealt, says the curate of los Palacios, such a fermosa ca~ 



TUMULT IN GRANADA. 275 



thillada (such a handsome slash) across the head of the blasphem- 
ing Moor, as felled him to the earth. The renegado, seeing his 
comrade fall, fled for his life, making the halls and galleries ring 
with his outcries. Guards, pages and attendants rushed in, but 
Don Juan kept them at bay, until the appearance of the king 
restored order. On inquiring into the cause of the affray, he 
acted with proper discrimination. Don Juan was held sacred as 
an ambassador, and the renegado was severely punished for having 
compromised the hospitality of the royal palace. 

The tumult in the Alhambra, however, soon caused a more 
dangerous tumult in the city. It was rumored that Christians 
had been introduced into the palace with some treasonable de- 
sign. The populace caught up arms, and ascended in throngs to 
the gate of Justice, demanding the death of all Christian spies 
and those who had introduced them. This was no time to reason 
with an infuriate mob, when the noise of their clamors might 
bring the garrison of the Albaycin to back them. Nothing was 
left for El Zagal but to furnish Don Juan with a disguise, a swift 
horse, and an escort, and to let him out of the Alhambra by a 
private gate. It was a sore grievance to the stately cavalier to 
have to submit to these expedients, but there was no alternative. 
In Moorish disguise he passed through crowds that were clamor- 
ing for his head ; and once out of the gate of the city, gave reins 
to his horse, nor ceased spurring until he found himself safe 
under the banners of Don Fadrique. 

Thus ended the second embassy of Don Juan de Vera, less 
stately, but more perilous than the first. Don Fadrique extolled 
his prowess, whatever he may have thought of his discretion ; 
and rewarded him with a superb horse, while at the same time 
he wrote a letter to El Zagal, thanking him for the courtesy and 
protection he had observed to his ambassador. Queen Isabella 
also was particularly delighted with the piety of Don Juan, and 



276 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



his promptness in vindicating the immaculate character of the 
Blessed Virgin, and, beside conferring on him various honorable 
distinctions, made him a royal present of three hundred thousand 
maravadils.* 

The report brought by this cavalier of affairs in Granada, to- 
gether with the preceding skirmishings between the Moorish 
factions before the walls, convinced Don Fadrique that there was 
no collusion between the monarchs ; on returning to his frontier 
post, therefore, he sent Boabdil a reinforcement of Christian foot- 
soldiers and arquebussers, under Fernan Alvarez de Sotomayer, 
alcayde of Colomera. This was as a firebrand thrown in to light 
up anew the flames of war in the city, which remained raging 
between the Moorish inhabitants for the space of fifty days. 

* Alcantara, Hist. Granad. vol. 3, c. 17, apud De Harro Nobiliario 
Genealogico, lib. 5, cap. 15. 






ALARM OF THE INFIDELS. 277 



CHAPTER XLVIL 

How King Ferdinand laid siege to Velez Malaga. 

Hitherto, the events of this renowned war have been little else 
than a succession of brilliant but brief exploits, such as sudden 
forays, wild skirmishes among the mountains, and the surprisals 
of castles, fortresses, and frontier towns. We approach now to 
more important and prolonged operations, in which ancient and 
mighty cities, the bulwarks of Granada, were invested by power- 
ful armies, subdued by slow and regular sieges, and thus the cap- 
ital left naked and alone. 

The glorious triumphs of the Christian sovereigns (says Fray 
Antonio Agapida) had resounded throughout the east, and filled 
all heathenesse with alarm. The Grand-Turk Bajazet II., and 
his deadly foe the grand soldan of Egypt, suspending for a time 
their bloody feuds, entered into a league to protect the religion 
of Mahomet and the kingdom of Granada from the hostilities of 
the Christians. It was concerted between them, that Bajazet 
should send a powerful armada against the island of Sicily, then 
appertaining to the Spanish crown, for the purpose of distracting 
the attention of the Castilian sovereigns ; while, at the same 
time, great bodies of troops should be poured into Granada, from 
the opposite coast of Africa. 

Ferdinand and Isabella received timely intelligence of these 



278 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



designs. They resolved at once to carry the war into the sea- 
board of Granada, to possess themselves of its ports, and thus, as 
it were, to bar the gates of the kingdom against all external aid. 
Malaga was to be the main object of attack : it was the principal 
sea-port of the kingdom, and almost necessary to its existence. 
It had long been the seat of opulent commerce, sending many 
ships to the coasts of Syria and Egypt. It was also the great 
channel of communication with Africa, through which were intro- 
duced supplies of money, troops, arms, and steeds, from Tunis, 
Tripoli, Fez, Tremezan, and other Barbary powers. It was em- 
phatically called, therefore, " the hand and mouth of Granada. " 
Before laying siege to this redoubtable city, however, it was 
deemed necessary to secure the neighboring city of Velez Malaga 
and its dependent places, which might otherwise harass the be- 
sieging army. 

For this important campaign, the nobles of the kingdom were 
again summoned to take the field with their forces, in the spring 
of 1487. The menaced invasion of the infidel powers of the east, 
had awakened new ardor in the bosoms of all true Christian 
knights ; and so zealously did they respond to the summons of the 
sovereigns, that an army of twenty thousand cavalry and fifty 
thousand foot, the flower of Spanish warriors, led by the bravest 
of Spanish cavaliers, thronged the renowned city of Cordova, at 
the appointed time. 

On the night before this mighty host set forth upon its march, 
an earthquake shook the city. The inhabitants, awakened by the 
skaking of the walls and rocking of the towers, fled to the courts 
and squares, fearing to be overwhelmed by the ruins of their 
dwellings. The earthquake was most violent in the quarter of 
the royal residence, the site of the ancient palace of the Moorish 
kings. Many looked upon this as an omen of some impending 
evil ; but Fray Antonio Agapida, in that infallible spirit of divi- 



FERDINAND'S DEPARTURE FOR MALAGA. 279 



nation which succeeds an event, plainly reads in it a presage that 
the empire of the Moors was about to be shaken to its centre. 

It was on Saturday, the eve of the Sunday of Palms, (says a 
worthy and loyal chronicler of the time,) that the most Catholic 
monarch departed with his army, to render service to Heaven, 
and make war upon the Moors.* Heavy rains had swelled all 
the streams, and rendered the roads deep and difficult. The 
king, therefore, divided his host into two bodies. In one he put 
all the artillery, guarded by a strong body of horse, and com- 
manded by the master of Alcantara and Martin Alonzo, senior 
of Montemayor. This division was to proceed by the road 
through the valleys, where pasturage abounded for the oxen 
which drew the ordnance. 

The main body of the army was led by the king in person. 
It was divided into numerous battalions, each commanded by 
some distinguished cavalier. The king took the rough and pe- 
rilous road of the mountains, and few mountains are more rugged 
and difficult than those of Andalusia. The roads are mere mule- 
paths, straggling amidst rocks and along the verge of precipices, 
clambering vast craggy heights, or descending into frightful 
chasms and ravines, with scanty and uncertain foothold for either 
man or steed. Four thousand pioneers were sent in advance, 
under the alcayde de los Donceles, to conquer, in some degree, 
the asperities of the road. Some had pickaxes and crowbars to 
break the rocks, others had implements to construct bridges over 
the mountain torrents, while it was the duty of others to lay step- 
ping-stones in the smaller streams. As the country was inhab- 
ited by fierce Moorish mountaineers, Don Diego de Castrillo was 
dispatched, with a body of horse and foot, to take possession of 
the heights and passes. Notwithstanding every precaution, the 

* Pulgar. Cronica de los Reyes Catholicos. 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



royal army suffered excessively on its march. At one time, 
there was no place to encamp, for five leagues of the most toil- 
some and mountainous country ; and many of the beasts of bur- 
den sank down, and perished on the road. 

It was with the greatest joy, therefore, that the royal army 
emerged from these stern and frightful defiles, and came to where 
they looked down upon the vega of Velez Malaga. The region 
before them was one of the most delectable to the eye, that ever 
was ravaged by an army. Sheltered from every rude blast by a 
screen of mountains, and sloping and expanding to the south, this 
lovely valley was quickened by the most generous sunshine, wa- 
tered by the silver meanderings of the Velez, and refreshed by 
cooling breezes from the Mediterranean. The sloping hills were 
covered with vineyards and olive-trees ; the distant fields waved 
with grain, or were verdant with pasturage ; while round the 
city were delightful gardens, the favorite retreats of the Moors, 
where their white pavilions gleamed among groves of oranges, 
citrons, and pomegranates, and were surmounted by stately palms 
— those plants of southern growth, bespeaking a generous climate 
and a cloudless sky. 

In the upper part of this delightful valley, the city of Velez 
Malaga reared its warrior battlements in stern contrast to the 
landscape. It was built on the declivity of a steep and insulated 
hill, and strongly fortified by walls and towers. The crest of the 
hill rose high above the town, into a mere crag, inaccessible on 
every other side, and crowned by a powerful castle, which domi- 
neered over the surrounding country. Two suburbs swept down 
into the valley, from the skirts of the town, and were defended 
by bulwarks and deep ditches. The vast ranges of gray moun- 
tains, often capped with clouds, which rose to the north, were in- 
habited by a hardy and warlike race, whose strong fortresses of 






IMMINENT PERIL OF THE KING. 281 



Comares, Canillas, Competa, and Benamargosa, frowned down 
from cragged heights. 

When the Christian host arrived in sight of this valley, a 
squadron was hovering on the smooth sea before it, displaying 
the banner of Castile. This was commanded by the count of 
Trevento, and consisted of four armed galleys, conveying a num- 
ber of caravels, laden with supplies for the army. 

After surveying the ground, king Ferdinand encamped on the 
side of a mountain which advanced close to the city, and was the 
last of a rugged sierra, or chain of heights, that extended quite to 
Granada. On the summit of this mountain, and overlooking the 
camp, was a Moorish town, powerfully fortified, called Bentomiz, 
considered capable of yielding great assistance to Velez Malaga. 
Several of the generals remonstrated with the king, for choosing a 
post so exposed to assaults from the mountaineers ; but he re- 
plied, that he should thus cut off all communication between 
Bentomiz and the city ; and that as to the danger, his soldiers 
must keep the more vigilant guard against surprise. 

King Ferdinand rode about, attended by several cavaliers and 
a small number of cuirassiers, appointing the various stations of 
the camp. Having directed a body of foot-soldiers to possess 
themselves, as an advanced guard, of an important height which 
overlooked the city, he retired to a tent to take refreshment. 
While at table, he was startled by a sudden uproar, and, looking 
forth, beheld his soldiers flying before a superior force of the 
enemy. The king had on no other armor but a cuirass ; seizing 
a lance, however, he sprang upon his horse and galloped to pro- 
tect the fugitives, followed by his handful of knights and cuiras- 
siers. When the soldiers saw the king hastening to their aid, 
they turned upon their pursuers. Ferdinand, in his eagerness, 
threw himself into the midst of the foe. One of his grooms was 
killed beside him ; but, before the Moor who slew him could es- 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



cape, the king transfixed him with his lance. He then sought to 
draw his sword, which hung at his saddle-bow — but in vain. Ne- 
ver had he been exposed to such peril ; — he was surrounded by 
the enemy 1 without a weapon wherewith to defend himself. 

In this moment of awful jeopardy, the marques of Cadiz, the 
count de Cabra, the adelantado of Murcia, with two other cava- 
liers, named Garcilasso de la Vega and Diego de Atayde, came 
galloping to the scene of action, and, surrounding the king, made 
a rampart of their bodies against the assaults of the Moors. The 
horse of the marques was pierced by an arrow, and that worthy 
cavalier exposed to imminent danger ; but, with the aid of his 
valorous companions, he quickly put the enemy to flight, and 
pursued them, with slaughter, to the very gates of the city. 

When those loyal warriors returned from the pursuit, they 
remonstrated with the king for exposing his life in personal con- 
flict, seeing that he had so many valiant captains whose business 
it was to fight. They reminded him that the life of a prince 
was the life of his people, and that many a brave army was lost 
by the loss of its commander. They entreated him therefore, in 
future, to protect them with the force of his mind in the cabinet, 
rather than of his arm in the field. 

Ferdinand acknowledged the wisdom of their advice, but de- 
clared that he could not see his people in peril without venturing 
his person to assist them : — a reply (say the old chroniclers) which 
delighted the whole army, inasmuch as they saw that he not only 
governed them as a good king, but protected them as a valiant 
captain. He, however, was conscious of the extreme peril to 
which he had been exposed, and made a vow never again to ven- 
ture into battle without having his sword girt to his side.* 

When this achievement of the king was related to Isabella, 

* Illescas, Hist. Pontif. lib. 6, c. 20. Vedmar, Hist. Velez Malaga. 



SKIRMISHES BEFORE MALAGA. 283 



she trembled amidst her joy at his safety ; and afterwards, in 
memorial of the event, granted to Yelez Malaga, as the arms of 
the city, the figure of the king on horseback, with a groom lying 
dead at his feet, and the Moors flying.* 

The camp was formed, but the artillery was yet on the road, 
advancing with infinite labor, at the rate of merely a league a 
day ; for heavy rains had converted the streams of the valleys 
into raging torrents, and completely broken up the roads. In 
the mean time, king Ferdinand ordered an assault on the suburbs 
of the city. They were carried, after a sanguinary conflict of six 
hours, in which many Christian cavaliers were killed and wounded, 
and, among the latter, Don Alvaro of Portugal, son of the duke 
of Braganza. The suburbs were then fortified towards the city, 
with trenches and palisades, and garrisoned by a chosen force, 
under Don Fadrique de Toledo. Other trenches were digged 
round the city, and from the suburbs to the royal camp, so as to 
cut off all communication with the surrounding country. 

Bodies of troops were also sent to take possession of the 
mountain passes, by which the supplies for the army had to be 
brought. The mountains, however, were so steep and rugged, and 
so full of defiles and lurking-places, that the Moors could sally 
forth and retreat in perfect security ; frequently swooping down 
upon Christian convoys, and bearing off both booty and prisoners 
to their strongholds. Sometimes the Moors would light fires at 
night, on the sides of the mountains, which would be answered 
by fires from the watchtowers and fortresses. By these signals, 
they would concert assaults upon the Christian camp, which, in 
consequence, was obliged to be continually on the alert. 

King Ferdinand flattered himself that the manifestation of 
his force had struck sufficient terror into the city, and that by 

* Illescas, Hist. Pontif. lib. 6, c. 20. Vedmar, Hist. Velez Malaga. 



284 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






offers of clemency it might be induced to capitulate. He wrote 
a letter, therefore, to the commanders, promising, in case of im- 
mediate surrender, that all the inhabitants should be permitted 
to depart with their effects ; but threatening them with fire and 
sword, if they persisted in defence. This letter was dispatched 
by a cavalier named Carvajal, who, putting it on the end of a 
lance, reached it to the Moors on the walls of the city. Abul 
Cacim Vanegas, son of Reduan and alcayde of the fortress, re- 
plied, that the king was too noble and magnanimous to put such 
a threat in execution, and that he should not surrender, as he 
knew the artillery could not be brought to the camp, and he was 
promised succor by the king of Granada. 

At the same time that he received this reply, the king learnt 
that at the strong town of Comares, upon a height about two 
leagues distant from the camp, a large number of warriors had 
assembled from the Axarquia, the same mountains in which the 
Christian cavaliers had been massacred in the beginning of the 
war, and that others were daily expected, for this rugged sierra 
was capable of furnishing fifteen thousand fighting men. 

King Ferdinand felt that his army, thus disjointed, and in- 
closed in an enemy's country, was in a perilous situation, and that 
the utmost discipline and vigilance were necessary. He put the 
camp under the strictest regulations, forbidding all gaming, blas- 
phemy, or brawl, and expelling all loose women and their at- 
tendant bully ruffians, the usual fom enters of riot and contention 
among soldiery. He ordered that none should sally forth to 
skirmish, without permission from their commanders ; that none 
should set fire to the woods on the neighboring mouDtains ; and 
that all word of security given to Moorish places or individuals, 
should be inviolably observed. These regulations were enforced 
by severe penalties, and had such salutary effect, that, though a 






PREPARATIONS FOR THE ATTACK. 285 



vast host of various people was collected together, not an oppro- 
brious epithet was heard, nor a weapon drawn in quarrel. 

In the mean time, the cloud of war continued to gather about 
the summits of the mountains, and multitudes of the fierce war- 
riors of the sierra descended to the lower heights of Bentomiz, 
which overhung the camp, intending to force their way to the 
city. A detachment was sent against them, which, after sharp 
fighting, drove them to the higher cliffs, where it was impossible 
to pursue them. 

Ten days had elapsed since the encampment of the army, yet 
still the artillery had not arrived. The lombards and other 
heavy ordnance were left in despair, at Antiquera ; the rest came 
groaning slowly through the narrow valleys, which were filled 
with long trains of artillery, and cars laden with munitions. At 
length part of the smaller ordnance arrived within half a league 
of the camp, and the Christians were animated with the hopes of 
soon being able to make a regular attack upon the fortifications 
of the city. 



286 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 

How King Ferdinand and his army were exposed to imminent peril, before 

Velez Malaga. 






While the standard of the cross waved on the hills before Velez 
Malaga, and every height and cliff bristled with hostile arms, the 
civil war between the factions of the Alhambra and the Albay- 
cin, or rather between El Zagal and El Chico, continued to con- 
vulse the city of Granada. The tidings of the investment of 
Velez Malaga at length roused the attention of the old men and 
the alfaquis, whose heads were not heated by the daily broils, and 
they endeavored to arouse the people to a sense of their common 
danger. 

" Why, 57 said they, " continue these brawls between brethren 
and kindred ? what battles are these, where even triumph is ig- 
nominious, and the victor blushes and conceals his scars ? Behold 
the Christians ravaging the land won by the valor and blood of 
your forefathers ; dwelling in the houses they built, sitting under 
the trees they planted, while your brethren wander about, house- 
less and desolate. Do you wish to seek your real foe ? — he is en- 
camped on the mountain of Bentomiz. Do you want a field for 
the display of your valor ? — you will find it before the walls of 
Velez Malaga." 

When they had roused the spirit of the people, they made 
their way to the rival kings, and addressed them with like 







EL ZAGAL'S DILEMMA. 287 



monstrances. Hamet Aben Zarrax, the inspired santon, re- 
proached El Zagal with his blind and senseless ambition : " You 
are striving to be king," said he, bitterly, " yet suffer the king- 
dom to be lost !" 

El Zagal found himself in a perplexing dilemma. He had a 
double war to wage, — with the enemy without, and the enemy 
within. Should the Christians gain possession of the sea-coast, 
it would be ruinous to the kingdom ; should he leave Granada to 
oppose them, his vacant throne might be seized on by his nephew. 
He made a merit of necessity, and, pretending to yield to the re- 
monstrances of the alfaquis, endeavored to compromise with Bo- 
abdil. He expressed deep concern at the daily losses of the 
country, caused by the dissensions of the capital ; an opportunity 
now presented to retrieve all by a blow. The Christians had in 
a manner put themselves in a tomb between the mountains — 
nothing remained but to throw the earth upon them. He offered 
to resign the title of king, to submit to the government of his 
nephew, and fight under his standard ; all he desired was to 
hasten to the relief of Velez Malaga, and to take full vengeance 
on the Christians. 

Boabdil spurned his proposition, as the artifice of a hypocrite 
and a traitor. " How shall I trust a man," said he, " who has 
murdered my father and my kindred by treachery, and has re- 
peatedly sought my own life, both by violence and stratagem ?" 

El Zagal boiled with rage and vexation — but there was no 
time to be lost. He was beset by the alfaquis and the nobles of 
his court ; the youthful cavaliers were hot for action, the common 
people loud in their complaints that the richest cities were aban- 
doned to the mercy of the enemy. The old warrior was natu- 
rally fond of fighting ; he saw also that to remain inactive would 
endanger both crown and kingdom, whereas a successful blow 
might secure his popularity in Granada. He had a much more 



288 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






powerful force than his nephew, having lately received reinforce- 
ments from Baza, Guadix, and Almeria ; he could march with a 
large force, therefore, to the relief of Velez Malaga, and yet leave 
a strong garrison in the Alhambra. He took his measures ac- 
cordingly, and departed suddenly in the night, at the head of one 
thousand horse and twenty thousand foot, and urged his way 
rapidly by the most unfrequented roads, along the chain of 
mountains extending from Granada to the heights above Velez 
Malaga. 

The Christians were alarmed one evening by the sudden 
blazing of great fires on the mountains about the fortress of 
Bentomiz. By the ruddy light, they beheld the flash of weapons 
and the array of troops, and they heard the distant sound of 
Moorish drums and trumpets. The fires of Bentomiz were an- 
swered by fires on the towers of Velez Malaga. The shouts of 
" El Zagal ! El Zagal !" echoed along the cliffs, and resounded 
from the city ; and the Christians found that the old warrior 
king of Granada was on the mountain above their camp. 

The spirits of the Moors were suddenly raised to a pitch of 
the greatest exultation, while the Christians were astonished to 
see this storm of war ready to burst upon their heads. The 
count de Cabra, with his accustomed eagerness when there was a 
king in the field, would fain have scaled the heights, and attacked 
El Zagal before he had time to form his camp ; but Ferdinand, 
more cool and wary, restrained him. To attack the height, 
would be to abandon the siege. He ordered every one, there- 
fore, to keep vigilant watch at his post and stand ready to defend 
it to the utmost, but on no account to sally forth and attack the 
enemy. 

All night the signal-fires kept blazing along the mountains, 
rousing and animating the whole country. The morning sun 
rose over the lofty summit of Bentomiz on a scene of martial 



JEOPARDY OF THE CHRISTIANS 289 



splendor. As its rays glanced down the mountain, they lighted 
up the white tents of the Christian cavaliers, cresting its lower 
prominences, their pennons and ensigns fluttering in the morn 
ing breeze. The sumptuous pavilions of the king, with the 
holy standard of the cross and the royal banners of Castile 
and Arragon, dominated the encampment. Beyond lay the city, 
its lofty castle and numerous towers glistening with arms ; while 
above all, and just on the profile of the height, in the full blaze 
of the rising sun, were descried the tents of the Moor, his troops 
clustering about them, and his infidel banners floating against the 
sky. Columns of smoke rose where the night-fires had blazed, 
and the clash of the Moorish cymbal, the bray of trumpet, and 
the neigh of steed, were faintly heard from the airy heights. 
So pure and transparent is the atmosphere in this region, that 
every object can be" distinctly seen at a great distance ; and the 
Christians were able to behold the formidable hosts of foes 
gathering on the summits of the surrounding mountains. 

One of the first measures of the Moorish king, was to detach 
a large force, under Reduan de Vanegas, alcayde of Granada, to 
fall upon the convoy of ordnance, which stretched, for a great 
distance, through the mountain defiles. Ferdinand had antici- 
pated this attempt, and sent the commander of Leon, with a 
body of horse and foot to reinforce the master of Alcantara. El 
Zagal, from his mountain height, beheld the detachment issue 
from the camp, and immediately recalled Reduan. The armies 
now remained quiet for a time, the Moor looking grimly down 
upon the Christian camp, like a tiger meditating a bound upon 
his prey. The Christians were in fearful jeopardy — a hostile 
city below them, a powerful army above them, and on every side 
mountains filled with implacable foes. 

After El Zagal had maturely considered the situation of the 
Christian camp, and informed himself of all the passes of the 
13 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



mountain, he conceived a plan to surprise the enemy, which he 
flattered himself would insure their ruin, and perhaps the capture 
of king Ferdinand. He wrote a letter to the alcayde of the 
city, commanding him, in the dead of the night, on a signal-fire 
being made from the mountain, to sally forth with all his troops, 
and fall furiously upon the Christian camp. The king would, at 
the same time, rush down with his army from the mountain, and 
assail it on the opposite side ; thus overwhelming it, at the hour 
of deep repose. This letter he dispatched by a renegado Chris- 
tian, who knew all the secret roads of the country, and, if taken, 
could pass himself for a Christian who had escaped from captivity. 
El Zagal, confident in his stratagem, looked down upon the 
Christians as his devoted victims. As the sun went down, and 
the long shadows of the mountains stretched across the vega, he 
pointed with exultation to the camp below, apparently uncon- 
scious of the impending danger. "Behold," said he, "the un- 
believers are delivered into our hands ; their king and choicest 
chivalry will soon be at our mercy. Now is the time to show the 
courage of men, and, by one glorious victory, retrieve all that we 
have lost. Happy he who falls fighting in the cause of the Pro- 
phet ! he will at once be transported to the paradise of the faith- 
ful, and surrounded by immortal houris. Happy he who shall 
survive victorious ! he will behold Granada, — an earthly paradise ! 
— once more delivered from its foes, and restored to all its glory." 
The words of El Zagal were received with acclamations by his 
troops, who waited impatiently for the appointed hour, to pour 
down from their mountain-hold upon the Christians. 



EL ZAGAL'S STRATAGEM. 291 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

Result of the stratagem of El Zagal to surprise King Ferdinand. 

Queen Isabella and her court had remained at Cordova, in great 
anxiety for the result of the royal expedition. Every day brought 
tidings of the difficulties which attended the transportation of the 
ordnance and munitions, and of the critical state of the army. 

While in this state of anxious suspense, couriers arrived with 
all speed from the frontiers, bringing tidings of the sudden sally 
of El Zagal from Granada, to surprise the camp. All Cordova 
was in consternation. The destruction of the Andalusian chiv- 
alry, among the mountains of this very neighborhood, was called 
to mind ; it was feared that similar ruin was about to burst forth, 
from rocks and precipices, upon Ferdinand and his army. 

Queen Isabella shared in the public alarm, but it served to 
rouse all the energies of her heroic mind. Instead of uttering 
idle apprehensions, she sought only how to avert the danger. 
She called upon all the men of Andalusia, under the age of 
seventy, to arm and hasten to the relief of their sovereign ; and 
she prepared to set out with the first levies. The grand cardinal 
of Spain, old Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, in whom the piety of 
the saint and the wisdom of the counsellor were mingled with 
the fire of the cavalier, offered high pay to all horsemen who 
would follow him to aid their king and the Christian cause ; and, 
buckling on armor, prepared to lead them to the scene of danger. 



292 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The summons of the queen roused the quick Andalusian 
spirit. Warriors who had long since given up fighting, and had 
sent their sons to battle, now seized the sword and lance, rusting 
on the wall, and marshalled forth their gray-headed domestics 
and their grandchildren for the field. The great dread was, that 
all aid would arrive too late ; El Zagal and his host had passed 
like a storm through the mountains, and it was feared the tempest 
had already burst upon the Christian camp. 

In the mean time, the night had closed which had been 
appointed by El Zagal for the execution of his plan. He had 
watched the last light of day expire, and all the Spanish camp 
remained tranquil. As the hours wore away, the camp-fires 
were gradually extinguished. No drum nor trumpet sounded 
from below. Nothing was heard, but now and then the dull 
heavy tread of troops, or the echoing tramp of horses — the usual 
patrols of the camp, and the changes of the guards. El Zagal 
restrained his own impatience, and that of his troops, until the 
night should be advanced, and the camp sunk in that heavy sleep 
from which men are with difficulty awakened ; and, when awak- 
ened, prone to be bewildered and dismayed. 

At length, the appointed hour arrived. By order of the 
Moorish king, a bright flame sprang up from the height of Ben- 
tomiz ; but El Zagal looked in vain for the responding light from 
the city. His impatience would brook no longer delay ; he 
ordered the advance of the army to descend the mountain defile 
and attack the camp. The defile was narrow, and overhung by 
rocks ; as the troops preceeded, they came suddenly, in a shadowy 
hollow, upon a dark mass of warriors, who, with a loud shout, 
rushed to assail them. Surprised and disconcerted, they re- 
treated in confusion to the height. When El Zagal heard of a 
Christian force in the defile, he doubted some counter-plan of the 
enemy, and gave orders to light the mountain fires. On a signal 



THE STRATAGEM FOILED. 293 



given, bright flames sprang up on every height, from pyres of 
wood, prepared for the purpose : cliff blazed out after cliff, until 
the whole atmosphere was in a glow of furnace light. The ruddy 
glare lit up the glens and passes, and fell strongly upon the 
Christian camp, revealing all its tents and every post and bul- 
wark. Wherever El Zagal turned his eyes, he beheld the light 
of his fires flashed back from cuirass, and helm, and sparkling 
lance ; he beheld a grove of spears planted in every pass, every 
assailable point bristling with arms, and squadrons of horse and 
foot in battle array, awaiting his attack. 

In fact, his letter to the alcayde of Velez Malaga had been 
intercepted by the vigilant Ferdinand, the renegado messenger 
hanged, and secret measures taken, after nightfall, to give the 
Moors a warm reception. El Zagal saw that his plan of surprise 
was discovered and foiled ; furious with disappointment, he or- 
dered his troops forward to the attack. They rushed down the 
defile, but were again encountered by the mass of Christian war- 
riors, being the advance guard of the army, commanded by Don 
Hurtado de Mendoza, brother of the grand cardinal. The Moors 
were again repulsed, and retreated up the height. Don Hurtado 
would have followed them, but the ascent was steep and rugged, 
and easily defended. A sharp action was kept up through the 
night, with cross-bows, darts, and arquebusses. The cliffs echoed 
with deafening uproar, while the fires blazing upon the moun- 
tains threw a lurid and uncertain light upon the scene. 

When the day dawned, and the Moors saw that there was no 
co-operation from the city, they slackened in their ardor : they 
beheld also every pass of the mountain filled with Christian 
troops, and began to apprehend an assault in return. Just then 
king Ferdinand sent the marques of Cadiz, with horse and foot, 
to seize upon a height occupied by a battalion of the enemy. The 
marques assailed the Moors with his usual intrepidity, and soon 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



put them to flight. The others, who were above, seeing their 
comrades fly, threw down their arms, and retreated. One of 
those unaccountable panics, which now and then seize upon great 
bodies of people, and to which the light-spirited Moors were 
prone, now spread throughout the camp. They were terrified, 
they knew not why, nor at what, and -throwing away swords, 
lances, breast-plates, cross-bows, every thing that could impede 
their motions, scattered themselves wildly in every direction. 
They fled without pursuers — from the glimpse of each other's 
arms, from the sound of each other's footsteps. Reduan de 
Vanegas, the brave alcayde of Granada, alone succeeded in col- 
lecting a body of the fugitives ; he made a circuit with them 
through the passes of the mountain, and forcing his way across a 
weak part of the Christian lines, galloped towards Velez Malaga. 
The rest of the Moorish host was completely scattered. In vain 
did El Zagal and his knights attempt to rally them ; they were 
left almost alone, and had to consult their own security by 
flight. 

The marques of Cadiz, finding no opposition, ascended from 
height to height, cautiously reconnoitring, and fearful of some 
stratagem or ambush. All, however, was quiet. He reached 
with his men the place which the Moorish army had occupied : 
the heights were abandoned, and strewed with cuirasses, scime- 
tars, cross-bows, and other weapons. His force was too small to 
pursue the enemy, but returned to the royal camp laden with 
spoils. 

Ferdinand at first could not credit so signal and miraculous a 
defeat, but suspected some lurking stratagem. He ordered, there- 
fore, that a strict watch should be maintained throughout the 
camp, and every one be ready for instant action. The following 
night, a thousand cavaliers and hidalgos kept guard about the 
royal tent, as they had done for several preceding nights ; nor 



TRIUMPH OF THE CHRISTIANS. 295 



did the king relax this vigilance, until he received certain intelli- 
gence that the enemy was completely scattered, and El Zagal 
flying in confusion. 

The tidings of this rout, and of the safety of the Christian 
army, arrived at Cordova just as reinforcements were on the 
point of setting out. The anxiety and alarm of the queen and 
the public, were turned to transports of joy and gratitude. The 
forces were disbanded, solemn processions were made, and te 
deums chanted in the churches, for so signal a victory. 



296 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER L. 

How the people of Granada rewarded the valor of El Zagal. 

The daring spirit of Muley Abdallah El Zagal, in sallying forth 
to defend his territories, while he left an armed rival in his capi- 
tal, struck the people of Granada with admiration. They recalled 
his former exploits, and again anticipated some hardy achieve- 
ment from his valor. Couriers from the army reported its for- 
midable position on the height of Bentomiz. For a time, there 
was a pause in the bloody commotions of the city ; all attention 
was turned to the blow about to be struck at the Christian camp. 
The same considerations which diffused anxiety and terror 
through Cordova, swelled every bosom with exulting confidence 
in Granada. The Moors expected to hear of another massacre, 
like that in the mountains of Malaga. " El Zagal has again en- 
trapped the enemy !" was the cry. " The power of the unbe- 
lievers is about to be struck to the heart. We shall soon see the 
Christian king led captive to the capital." Thus was the name 
of El Zagal on every tongue. He was extolled as the saviour of 
the country ; the only one worthy of wearing the Moorish crown. 
Boabdil was reviled as basely remaining passive while his country 
was invaded ; and, so violent became the clamor of the populace, 
that his adherents trembled for his safety. 

While the people of Granada were impatiently looking out for 



EL ZAGAL'S REWARD. 297 



tidings of the anticipated victory, scattered horsemen came spur- 
ring across the vega. They were fugitives from the Moorish 
army, and brought the first incoherent account of its defeat. 
Every one who attempted to tell the tale of this unaccountable 
panic and dispersion, was as if bewildered by the broken recol- 
lection of some frightful dream. He knew not how or why it 
came to pass. He talked of a battle in the night, among rocks 
and precipices, by the glare of bale-fires ; of multitudes of armed 
foes in every pass, seen by gleams and flashes ; of the sudden 
horror that seized upon the army at daybreak; its headlong 
flight, and total dispersion. Hour after hour, the arrival of other 
fugitives confirmed the story of ruin and disgrace. 

In proportion to their recent vaunting, was the humiliation 
that now fell upon the people of Granada. There was a univer- 
sal burst, not of grief, but indignation. They confounded the 
leader with the army — the deserted, with those who had aban- 
doned him ; and El Zagal, from being their idol, became suddenly 
the object of their execration. He had sacrificed the army; he 
had disgraced the nation ; he had betrayed the country. He was 
a dastard, a traitor ; he was unworthy to reign ! 

On a sudden, one among the multitude shouted, " Long live 
Boabdil el Chico !" the cry was echoed on all sides, and every 
one shouted, " Long live Boabdil el Chico ! long live the legiti- 
mate king of Granada ! and death to all usurpers !" In the ex- 
citement of the moment, they thronged to the Albaycin ; and 
those who had lately besieged Boabdil with arms, now surrounded 
his palace with acclamations. The keys of the city, and of all 
the fortresses, were laid at his feet ; he was borne in state to the 
Alhambra, and once more seated, with all due ceremony, on the 
throne of his ancestors. 

Boabdil had by this time become so accustomed to be crowned 
and uncrowned by the multitude, that he put no great faith in 
13* 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the duration of their loyalty. He knew that he was surrounded 
by hollow hearts, and that most of the courtiers of the Alham- 
bra were secretly devoted to his uncle. He ascended the throne 
as the rightful sovereign, who had been dispossessed of it by usur- 
pation ; and he ordered the heads of four of the principal nobles 
to be struck off, who had been most zealous in support of the 
usurper. Executions of the kind were matters of course, on any 
change in Moorish government ; and Boabdil was lauded for his 
moderation and humanity, in being content with so small a sacri- 
fice. The factions were awed into obedience ; the populace, de- 
lighted with any change, extolled Boabdil to the skies ; and the 
name of Muley Abdallah El Zagal was for a time a by-word of 
scorn and opprobrium throughout the city. 

Never was any commander more astonished and confounded 
by a sudden reverse of fortune, than El Zagal. The evening had 
seen him with a powerful army at his command, his enemy within 
his grasp, and victory about to cover him with glory, and to con- 
solidate his power : — the morning beheld him a fugitive among 
the mountains, his army, his prosperity, his power, all dispelled, 
he knew not how — gone like a dream of the night. In vain had 
he tried to stem the headlong flight of the army. He saw his 
squadrons breaking and dispersing among the cliffs of the moun- 
tains, until, of all his host, only a handful of cavaliers remained 
faithful. With these he made a gloomy retreat towards Granada, 
but with a heart full of foreboding. As he drew near to the 
city, he paused on the banks of the Xenel, and sent forth scouts 
to collect intelligence. They returned with dejected counte- 
nances : " The gates of Granada," said they, " are closed against 
you. The banner of Boabdil floats on the *tower of the Al- 
hambra." 

El Zagal turned his steed, and departed in silence. He re- 
treated to the town of Almunecar, and thence to Almeria, which 



HE RETIRES TO GUADIX. 299 



places still remained faithful to him. Restless and uneasy at 
being so distant from the capital, he again changed his abode, 
and repaired to the city of Guadix, within a few leagues of Gra- 
nada. Here he remained, endeavoring to rally his forces, and 
preparing to avail himself of any sudden change in the fluctua- 
ting politics of the metropolis. 



300 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER II. 

Surrender of Velez Malaga and other places. 

The people of Velez Malaga had beheld the camp of Muley Ab- 
dallah, covering the summit of Bentomiz, and glittering in the 
last rays of the setting sun. During the night, they had been 
alarmed and perplexed by signal-fires on the mountain, and by 
the sound of distant battle. When the morning broke, the 
Moorish army had vanished as if by enchantment. While the 
inhabitants were lost in wonder and conjecture, a body of cavalry, 
the fragment of the army saved by Reduan de Vanegas, the 
brave alcayde of Granada, came galloping to the gates. The 
tidings of the strange discomfiture of the host, filled the city with 
consternation ; but Reduan exhorted the people to continue their 
resistance. He was devoted to El Zagal, and confident in his 
skill and prowess ; and felt assured that he would soon .collect 
his scattered forces, and return with fresh troops from Granada. 
The people were comforted by the words, and encouraged by the 
presence of Reduan ; and they had still a lingering hope that the 
heavy artillery of the Christians might be locked up in the im- 
passable defiles of the mountains. This hope was soon at an 
end. The very next day, they beheld long laborious lines of 
ordnance slowly moving into the Spanish camp, lombards, ribado- 
quines, catapults, and cars laden with munitions, — while the es- 



SURRENDER OF MOORISH FORTRESSES. 301 



cort, under the brave master of Alcantara, wheeled in great bat- 
talions into the camp, to augment the force of the besiegers. 

The intelligence that Granada had shut its gates against El 
Zagal, and that no reinforcements were to be expected, completed 
the despair of the inhabitants ; even Eeduan himself lost confi- 
dence, and advised capitulation. 

Ferdinand granted favorable conditions, for he was eager to 
proceed against Malaga. The inhabitants were permitted to de- 
part with their effects, except their arms, and to reside, if they 
chose it, in Spain, in any place distant from the sea. One hun- 
dred and twenty Christians, of both sexes, were rescued from 
captivity by the surrender, and were sent to Cordova, where they 
were received with great tenderness by the queen and her daugh- 
ter the Infanta Isabella, in the famous cathedral, in the midst of 
public rejoicings for the victory. 

The capture of Velez Malaga was followed by the surrender 
of Bentomiz, Comares, and all the towns and fortresses of the 
Axarquia, which were strongly garrisoned, and discreet and 
valiant cavaliers appointed as their alcaydes. The inhabitants of 
nearly forty towns of the Alpuxarra mountains, also, sent depu- 
tations to the Castilian sovereigns, taking the oath of allegiance 
as Mudehares, or Moslem vassals. 

About the same time came letters from Boabdil el Chico, an- 
nouncing to the sovereigns the revolution of Granada in his 
favor. He solicited kindness and protection for the inhabitants 
who had returned to their allegiance, and for those of all other 
places which should renounce adherence to his uncle. By this 
means (he observed) the whole kingdom of Granada would soon 
be induced to acknowledge his sway, and would be held by 
him in faithful vassalage to the Castilian crown. 

The Catholic sovereigns complied with his request. Protec- 
tion was immediately extended to the inhabitants of Granada, 



302 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



permitting them to cultivate their fields in peace, and to trade 
with the Christian territories in all articles excepting arms ; be- 
ing provided with letters of surety, from some Christian captain 
or alcayde. The same favor was promised to all other places, 
which, within six months, should renounce El Zagal and come 
under allegiance to the younger king. Should they not do so 
within that time, the sovereigns threatened to make war upon 
them, and conquer them for themselves. This measure had a 
great effect, in inducing many to return to the standard of Bo- 
abdil. 

Having made every necessary arrangement for the government 
and security of the newly conquered territory, Ferdinand turned 
his attention to the great object of his campaign, the reduction of 
Malaga. 






THE CITY OF MALAGA. 303 



CHAPTER LII. 

Of the city of Malaga, and its inhabitants.— Mission of Hernando del 

Pulgar. 

The city of Malaga lies in the lap of a fertile valley, surrounded 
by mountains, excepting on the part which lies open . to the sea. 
As it was one of the most important, so it was one of the strong- 
est, cities of the Moorish kingdom. It was fortified by walls of 
prodigious strength, studded with a great number of huge towers. 
On the land side, it was protected by a natural barrier of moun- 
tains ; and on the other, the waves of the Mediterranean beat 
against the foundations of its massive bulwarks. 

At one end of the city, near the sea, on a high mound, stood 
the Alcazaba or citadel, — a fortress of great strength. Immedi- 
ately above this, rose a steep and rocky mount, on the top of 
which, in old times, had been a pharos or light-house, from which 
the height derived its name of Gibralfaro.* It was at present 
crowned by an immense castle, which, from its lofty and cragged 
situation, its vast walls and mighty towers, was deemed impreg- 
nable. It communicated with the Alcazaba by a covered way, 
six paces broad, leading down between two walls, along the pro- 
file or ridge of the rock. The castle of Gibralfaro commanded 
both citadel and city, and was capable, if both were taken, of 

* A corruption of Gibel-faro ; the hill of the light-house. 



304 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



maintaining a siege. Two large suburbs adjoined the city : in 
the one towards the sea, were the dwelling-houses of the most 
opulent inhabitants, adorned with hanging gardens ; the other, on 
the land side, was thickly peopled, and surrounded by strong 
walls and towers. 

Malaga possessed a brave and numerous garrison, and the 
common people were active, hardy, and resolute ; but the city 
was rich and commercial, and under the habitual control of 
numerous opulent merchants, who dreaded the ruinous conse- 
quences of a siege. They were little zealous for the warlike re- 
nown of their city, and longed rather to participate in the envi- 
able security of property, and the lucrative privileges of safe 
traffic with the Christian territories, granted to all places which 
declared for Boabdil. At the head of these gainful citizens was 
Ali Dordux, a mighty merchant of uncounted wealth, connected, 
it is said, with the royal family of Granada, whose ships traded 
to every part of the Levant, and whose word was as a law in Ma- 
laga. Ali Dordux assembled the most opulent and important of 
his commercial brethren, and they repaired in a body to the Al- 
cazaba, where they were received by the alcayde, Aben Comixa, 
with that deference generally shown to men of their great local 
dignity and power of purse. Ali Dordux was ample and stately 
in his form, and fluent and emphatic in his discourse ; his elo- 
quence had an effect therefore upon the alcayde, as he repre- 
sented the hopelessness of a defence of Malaga, the misery that 
must attend a siege, and the ruin that must follow a capture by 
force of arms. On the other hand, he set forth the grace that 
might be obtained from the Castilian sovereigns, by an early and 
voluntary acknowledgment of Boabdil as king; the peaceful 
possession of their property, and the profitable commerce with 
the Christian ports, that would be allowed them. He was 
seconded by his weighty and important coadjutors ; and the 



HAMET EL ZEGRI. 305 



alcayde, accustomed to regard them as the arbiters of the affairs 
of the place, yielded to their united counsels. He departed, 
therefore, with all speed, to the Christian camp, empowered to 
arrange a capitulation with the Castilian monarch ; and in the 
mean time, his brother remained in command of the Alcazaba. 

There was at this time, as alcayde, in the old crag-built castle 
of Gribralfaro, a warlike and fiery Moor, an implacable enemy of 
the Christians. This was no other than Hamet Zeli, surnamed 
El Zegri, the once formidable alcayde of Ronda, and the terror 
of its mountains. He had never forgiven the capture of his 
favorite fortress, and panted for vengeance on the Christians. 
Notwithstanding his reverses, he had retained the favor of El 
Zagal, who knew how to appreciate a bold warrior of the kind, 
and had placed him in command of this important fortress of 
Gribralfaro. 

Hamet el Zegri had gathered round him the remnant of his 
band of G-omeres, with others of the same tribe, recently arrived 
from Morocco. These fierce warriors were nestled, like so many 
war-hawks, about their lofty cliff. They looked down with martial 
contempt upon the commercial city of Malaga, which they were 
placed to protect ; or rather, they esteemed it only for its military 
importance, and its capability of defence. They held no com- 
munion with its trading, gainful inhabitants, and even considered 
the garrison of the Alcazaba as their inferiors. War was their 
pursuit and passion ; they rejoiced in its turbulent and perilous 
scenes ; and, confident in the strength of the city, and, above all, 
of their castle, they set at defiance the menace of Christian inva- 
sion. There were among them, also, many apostate Moors, who 
had once embraced Christianity, but had since recanted, and fled 
from the vengeance of the Inquisition.* These were desperadoes, 

* Zurita, lib. 30, cap. 71. 



306 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



who had no mercy to expect, should they again fall into the hands 
of the enemy. 

Such were the fierce elements of the garrison of GKbralfaro ; 
and its rage may easily be conceived, at hearing that Malaga was 
to be given up without a blow ; that they were to sink into Chris- 
tian vassals, under the intermediate sway of Boabdil el Chico ; 
and that the alcayde of the Alcazaba had departed, to arrange 
the terms of capitulation. 

Hamet determined to avert, by desperate means, the threat- 
ened degradation. He knew that there was a large party in the 
city faithful to El Zagal, being composed of warlike men, who 
had taken refuge from the various mountain towns which had 
been captured ; their feelings were desperate as their fortunes, 
and, like Hamet, they panted for revenge upon the Christians. 
With these he had a secret conference, and received assurances of 
their adherence to him in any measures of defence. As to the 
counsel of the peaceful inhabitants, he considered it unworthy 
the consideration of a soldier; and he spurned at the interfe- 
rence of the wealthy merchant AH Dordux, in matters of warfare. 

" Still," said Hamet el Zegri, " let us proceed regularly." So 
he descended with his Gomeres to the citadel, entered it suddenly, 
put to death the brother of the alcayde, and such of the garrison 
as made any demur, and then summoned the principal inhabit- 
ants of Malaga, to deliberate on measures for the welfare of the 
city.* The wealthy merchants again mounted to the citadel, ex- 
cepting Ali Dordux, who refused to obey the summons. They 
entered with hearts filled with awe, for they found Hamet sur- 
rounded by his grim African guard, and all the stern array of 
military power, and they beheld the bloody traces of the recent 
massacre. 

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 82. 



BRIBERY PROPOSED. 307 



Hamet rolled a dark and searching eye npon the assembly. 
" Who," said he, " is loyal and devoted to Muley Abdallah el 
Zagal ?" Every one present asserted his loyalty. " Good !" said 
Hamet ; " and who is ready to prove his devotion to his sovereign, 
by defending this his important city to the last extremity?" 
Every one present declared his readiness. " Enough !" observed 
Hamet ; " the alcayde Aben Comixa has proved himself a traitor 
to his sovereign, and to you all ; for he has conspired to deliver 
the place to the Christians. It behooves you to choose some other 
commander, capable of defending your city against the approach- 
ing enemy." The assembly declared unanimously, that no one 
was so worthy of the command as himself. So Hamet was 
appointed alcayde of Malaga, and immediately proceeded to man 
the forts and towers with his partisans, and to make every prepa- 
ration for a desperate resistance. 

Intelligence of these occurrences put an end to the negotia- 
tions between king Ferdinand and the superseded alcayde Aben 
Comixa, and it was supposed there was no alternative but to lay 
siege to the place. The marques of Cadiz, however, found at 
Velez a Moorish cavalier of some note, a native of Malaga, who 
offered to tamper with Hamet el Zegri for the surrender of the 
city, or at least of the castle of Gibralfaro. The marques com- 
municated this to the king : " I put this business, and the key of 
my treasury, into your hands," said Ferdinand ; " act, stipulate, 
and disburse, in my name, as you think proper." 

The marques armed the Moor with his own lance, cuirass, and 
target, and mounted him on one of his own horses. He equipped 
in similar style, also, another Moor, his companion and relative. 
They bore secret letters to Hamet from the marques, offering 
him the town of Coin in perpetual inheritance, and four thousand 
doblas in gold, if he would deliver up Gibralfaro ; together with 
a farm and two thousand doblas for his lieutenant Ibrahim Ze* 



308 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



nete, and large sums to be distributed among his officers and 
soldiers : and he offered unlimited rewards for the surrender of 
the city. 

Hamet had a warrior's admiration of the marques of Cadiz, 
and received his messengers with courtesy in his fortress of Gri- 
bralfaro. He even listened to their propositions with patience, 
and dismissed them in safety, though with an absolute refusal. 
The marques thought his reply was not so peremptory as to dis- 
courage another effort. The emissaries were dispatched, there- 
fore, a second time, with further propositions. They approached 
Malaga in the night, but found the guards doubled, patrols 
abroad, and the whole place on the alert. They were discovered, 
pursued, and- only saved themselves by the fleetness of their 
steeds, and their knowledge of the passes of the mountains.* 

Finding all attempts to tamper with the faith of Hamet 
utterly futile, king Ferdinand publicly summoned the city to 
surrender, offering the most favorable terms in case of immediate 
compliance ; but threatening captivity to all the inhabitants, in 
case of resistance. 

It required a man of nerve to undertake the delivery of such 
a summons in the present heated and turbulent state of the 
Moorish community. Such a one stepped forward in the person 
of a cavalier of the royal guards, Hernan Perez del Pulgar by 
name, a youth of noble descent, who had already signalized him- 
self by his romantic valor and daring enterprise. Furnished 
with official papers for Hamet el Zegri and a private letter from 
the king to Ali Dordux, he entered the gates of Malaga under 
the protection of a flag, and boldly delivered his summons in 
presence of the principal inhabitants. The language of the 
summons, or the tone in which it was delivered, exasperated the 

* Cura de los Palacios, MS., c. 82. 



HAMET'S RESOLUTION. 309 



fiery spirit of the Moors, and it required all the energy of Hamet 
and the influence of several of the alfaquis, to prevent an outrage 
to the person of the ambassador. The reply of Hamet was 
haughty and decided. " The city of Malaga has been confided to 
me," said he, " not to be surrendered, but defended, and the 
king shall witness how I acquit myself of my charge."* 

His mission at an end, Hernan del Pulgar rode slowly and 
deliberately through the city, utterly regardless of the scowls and 
menaces, and scarcely restrained turbulence of the multitude, and 
bore to Ferdinand at Velez the haughty answer of the Moor; 
but at the same time gave him a formidable account of the force 
of the garrison, the strength of the fortifications, and the deter- 
mined spirit of the commander and his men. The king imme- 
diately sent orders to have the heavy artillery forwarded from 
A.ntiquera; and, on the 7th of May, marched with his army 
towards Malaga. 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 74. 



310 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LIII. 

Advance of King Ferdinand against Malaga. 

The army of Ferdinand advanced in lengthened line, glittering 
along the foot of the mountains which border the Mediterranean ; 
while a fleet of vessels, freighted with heavy artillery and war- 
like munitions, kept pace with it at a short distance from the 
land, covering the sea with a thousand gleaming sails. When 
Hamet el Zegri saw this force approaching, he set fire to the 
houses of the suburbs which adjoined the walls, and sent forth 
three battalions to encounter the advance guard of the enemy. 

The Christian army drew near to the city, at that end where 
the castle and rocky height of Gibralfaro defend the seaboard. 
Immediately opposite, at about two bow-shots distance, stood the 
castle ; and between it and the high chain of mountains, was a 
steep and rocky hill, at present called the hill of St. Christobal, 
commanding a pass through which the Christians must march to 
penetrate to the vega and surround the city. Hamet ordered 
the three battalions to take their stations, one on this hill, another 
in the pass near the castle, and a third on the side of the moun- 
tain near the sea. 

A body of Spanish foot-soldiers, of the advance guard, sturdy 
mountaineers of Galicia, sprang forward to climb the side of 
the height next the sea ; at the same time, a number of cava- 



INVESTMENT OF MALAGA. 311 



liers and hidalgos of the royal household attacked the Moors 
who guarded the pass below. The Moors defended their posts 
with obstinate valor. The Galicians were repeatedly overpow- 
ered and driven down the hill, but as often rallied, and being re- 
inforced by the hidalgos and cavaliers, returned to the assault. 
This obstinate struggle lasted for six hours : the strife was of a 
deadly kind, not merely with cross-bows and arquebusses, but 
hand to hand, with swords and daggers ; no quarter was claimed 
or given, on either side — they fought not to make captives, but to 
slay. It was but the advance of the Christian army, that was 
engaged ; so narrow was the pass along the coast, that the army 
could proceed only in file : horse and foot, and beasts of burden, 
were crowded one upon another, impeding each other, and block- 
ing up the narrow and rugged defile. The soldiers heard the 
uproar of the battle, the sound of trumpets, and the war-cries of 
the Moors — but tried in vain to press forward to the assistance 
of their companions. 

At length a body of foot soldiers of the Holy Brotherhood 
climbed, with great difficulty, the steep side of the mountain 
which overhung the pass, and advanced with seven banners dis- 
played. The Moors, seeing this force above them, abandoned 
the pass in despair. The battle was still raging on the height ; 
the Galicians, though supported by Castilian troops under Don 
Hurtado de Mendoza and Garcilasso de la Vega, were severely 
pressed and roughly handled by the Moors ; at length a brave 
standard-bearer, Luys Mazeda by name, threw himself into the 
midst of the enemy, and planted his banner on the summit. The 
Galicians and Castilians, stimulated by this noble self-devotion, 
followed him, fighting desperately, and the Moors were at length 
driven to their castle of Gibralfaro.* 

* Pulgar. CroDica. 



312 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



This important height being taken, the pass lay open to the 
army ; but by this time evening was advancing, and the host was 
too weary and exhausted to seek proper situations for the en- 
campment. The king, attended by several grandees and cava- 
liers, went the rounds at night, stationing outposts towards the 
city, and guards and patrols to give the alarm on the least move- 
ment of the enemy. All night the Christians lay upon their 
arms, lest there should be some attempt to sally forth and attack 
them. 

When the morning dawned, the king gazed with admiration 
at this city, which he hoped soon to add to his dominions. It 
was surrounded on one side by vineyards, gardens, and orchards, 
which covered the hills with verdure ; on the other side, its walls 
were bathed by the smooth and tranquil sea. Its vast and lofty 
towers and prodigious castles, hoary with age, yet unimpaired 
in strength, showed the labors of magnanimous men in former 
times to protect their favorite abode. Hanging gardens, groves 
of oranges, citrons, and pomegranates, with tall cedars and stately 
palms, were mingled with the stern battlements and towers — be- 
speaking the opulence and luxury that reigned within. 

In the mean time, the Christian army poured through the 
pass, and, throwing out its columns and extending its lines, took 
possession of every vantage ground around the city. King Fer- 
dinand surveyed the ground, and appointed the stations of the 
different commanders. 

The important mount of St. Christobal, which had cost so vi- 
olent a struggle, and faced the powerful fortress of Gribralfaro, 
was given in charge to Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of Ca- 
diz, who, in all sieges, claimed the post of danger. He had seve- 
ral noble cavaliers with their retainers in his encampment, which 
consisted of fifteen hundred horse and fourteen thousand foot ; 
and extended from the summit of the mount to the margin of the 



EXULTING DESCRIPTION OF AGAPIDA. 313 



sea, completely blocking up the approach to the city on that side. 
From this post, a line of encampments extended quite round the 
city to the seaboard, fortified by bulwarks and deep ditches ; 
while a fleet of armed ships and galleys stretched before the har- 
bor ; so that the place was completely invested, by sea and land. 
The various parts of the valley now resounded with the din of 
preparation, and were filled with artificers preparing warlike en- 
gines and munitions : armorers and smiths, with glowing forges 
and deafening hammers ; carpenters and engineers, constructing 
machines wherewith to assail the walls ; stone-cutters, shaping 
stone balls for the ordnance ; and burners of charcoal, preparing 
fuel for the furnaces and forges. 

When the encampment was formed, the heavy ordnance was 
landed from the ships, and mounted in various parts of the camp. 
Five huge lombards were placed on the mount commanded by 
the marques of Cadiz, so as to bear upon the castle of Gribralfaro. 

The Moors made strenuous efforts to impede these prepara- 
tions. They kept up a heavy fire from their ordnance, upon the 
men employed in digging trenches or constructing batteries, so 
that the latter had to work principally in the night. The royal 
tents had been stationed conspicuously, and within reach of the 
Moorish batteries ; but were so warmly assailed, that they had to 
be removed behind a hill. 

When the works were completed, the Christian batteries 
opened in return, and kept up a tremendous cannonade ; while 
the fleet, approaching the land, assailed the city vigorously on 
the opposite side. 

" It was a glorious and delectable sight," observes Fray An- 
tonio Agapida, " to behold this infidel city thus surrounded by 
sea and land, by a mighty Christian force. Every mound in its 
circuit was, as it were, a little city of tents, bearing the standard 
of some renowned Catholic warrior. Beside the warlike ships 
14 



314 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



and galleys which lay before the place, the sea was covered with 
innumerable sails, passing and repassing, appearing and disap- 
pearing, being engaged in bringing supplies for the subsistence of 
the army. It seemed a vast spectacle contrived to recreate the 
eye, did not the vollying burts of flame and smoke from the ships, 
which seemed to lie asleep on the quiet sea, and the thunder of 
ordnance from camp and city, from tower and battlement, tell the 
deadly warfare that was waging. 

" At night, the scene was far more direful than in the day. 
The cheerful light of the sun was gone ; there was nothing but 
the flashes of artillery, or the baleful gleams of combustibles 
thrown into the city, and the conflagration of the houses. The 
fire kept up from the Christian batteries was incessant ; there 
were seven great lombards in particular, called The Seven Sis- 
ters of Ximenes, which did tremendous execution. The Moorish 
ordnance replied in thunder from the walls ; Gibralfaro was 
wrapped in volumes of smoke, rolling about its base ; and Hamet 
and his Gomeres looked out with triumph upon the tempest of 
war they had awaked. Truly they were so many demons incar- 
nate," concludes the pious Fray Antonio Agapida, " who were 
permitted by Heaven to enter into and possess this infidel city, 
for its perdition. " 



SIEGE OF MALAGA. 315 



CHAPTER LIV. 

Siege of Malaga. 

The attack on Malaga, by sea and land, was kept up for several 
days with tremendous violence, but without producing any great 
impression, so strong were the ancient bulwarks of the city. The 
count de Cifuentes was the first to signalize himself by any noted 
achievement. A main tower, protecting what is at present called 
the suburb of Santa Ana, had been shattered by the ordnance, 
and the battlements demolished, so as to yield no shelter to its 
defenders. Seeing this, the count assembled a gallant band of 
cavaliers of the royal household, and advanced to take it by 
storm. They applied scaling-ladders, and mounted, sword in 
hand. The Moors, having no longer battlements to protect them, 
descended to a lower floor, and made furious resistance from the 
windows and loopholes. They poured down boiling pitch and 
rosin, and hurled stones, and darts, and arrows, on the assailants. 
Many of the Christians were slain, their ladders were destroyed 
by flaming combustibles, and the count was obliged to retreat 
from before the tower. On the following day he renewed the at- 
tack with superior force, and, after a severe combat, succeeded in 
planting his victorious banner on the tower. 

The Moors now assailed the tower in their turn. They un- 
dermined the part towards the city, placed props of wood under 
the foundation, and, setting fire to them, drew off to a distance. 



316 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



In a little while the props gave way, the foundation sunk, and the 
tower was rent ; part of its wall fell, with a tremendous noise ; 
many of the Christians were thrown out headlong, and the rest 
were laid open to the missiles of the enemy. 

By this time, however, a breach had been made in the wall 
of the suburb adjoining the tower, and troops poured in to the 
assistance of their comrades. A continued battle was kept up 
for two days and a night, by reinforcements from camp and city. 
The parties fought backwards and forwards through the breach of 
the wall, and in the narrow and winding streets adjacent, with 
alternate success ; and the vicinity of the tower was strewn with 
the dead and wounded. At length the Moors gradually gave 
way, disputing every inch of ground, until they were driven into 
the city ; and the Christians remained masters of the greater part 
of the suburb. 

This partial success, though gained with great toil and blood- 
shed, gave temporary animation to the Christians ; they soon 
found, however, that the attack on the main works of the city 
was a much more arduous task. The garrison contained veterans 
who had served in many of the towns captured by the Christians. 
They were no longer confounded and dismayed by the battering 
ordnance and other strange engines of foreign invention, and had 
become expert in parrying their effects, in repairing breaches, and 
erecting counter-works. 

The Christians, accustomed of late to speedy conquests of 
Moorish fortresses, became impatient of the slow progress of the 
siege. Many were apprehensive of a scarcity of provisions, from 
the difficulty of subsisting so numerous a host in the heart of the 
enemy's country, where it was necessary to transport supplies 
across rugged and hostile mountains, or subjected to the uncer- 
tainties of the sea. Many also were alarmed at a pestilence 
which broke out in the neighboring villages ; and some were so 



DESERTERS TO THE MOORS. 317 



overcome by these apprehensions, as to abandon the camp and 
return to their homes. 

Several of the loose and worthless hangers-on that infest all 
great armies, hearing these murmurs, thought that the siege 
would soon be raised, and deserted to the enemy, hoping to make 
their fortunes. They gave exaggerated accounts of the alarms 
and discontents of the army, and represented the troops as daily 
returning home in bands. Above all, they declared that the 
gunpowder was nearly exhausted, so that the artillery would soon 
be useless. They assured the Moors, therefore, that if they per- 
sisted a little longer in their defence, the king would be obliged 
to draw off his forces and abandon the siege. 

The reports of these renegadoes gave fresh courage to the 
garrison ; they made vigorous sallies upon the camp, harassing it 
by night and day, and obliging every part to be guarded with the 
most painful vigilance. They fortified the weak parts of their 
walls with ditches and palisadoes, and gave every manifestation 
of a determined and unyielding spirit. 

Ferdinand soon received intelligence of the reports which had 
been carried to the Moors ; he understood that they had been in- 
formed, likewise, that the queen was alarmed for the safety of the 
camp, and had written repeatedly urging him to abandon the 
siege. As the best means of disproving all these falsehoods, and 
destroying the vain hopes of the enemy, he wrote to the queen, 
entreating her to come and take up her residence in the camp. 



318 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LV. 

Siege of Malaga continued — obstinacy of Hamet el Zegri. 

Great was the enthusiasm of the army, when they beheld their 
patriot queen advancing in state, to share the toils and dangers of 
her people. Isabella entered the camp, attended by the digni- 
taries and the whole retinue of her court, to manifest that this 
was no temporary visit. On one side of her was her daughter, 
the Infanta ; on the other, the grand cardinal of Spain j Hernan- 
do de Talavera, the prior of Prado, confessor to the queen, fol- 
lowed, with a great train of prelates, courtiers, cavaliers, and 
ladies of distinction. The cavalcade moved in calm and stately 
order through the camp, softening the iron aspect of war by this 
array of courtly grace and female beauty. 

Isabella had commanded, that on her coming to the camp, the 
horrors of war should be suspended, and fresh offers of peace 
made to the enemy. On her arrival, therefore, there had been a 
general cessation of firing throughout the camp. A messenger 
was, at the same time, dispatched to the besieged, informing them 
of her being in the camp, and of the determination of the sove- 
reigns to make it their settled residence until the city should be 
taken. The same terms were offered, in case of immediate sur- 
render, that had been granted to Velez Malaga ; but the inhabit- 



OBSTINACY OF HAMET EL ZEGRI. 319 



ants were threatened with captivity and the sword, should they 
persist in their defence. 

Hamet el Zegri received this message with haughty contempt, 
and dismissed the messenger without deigning a reply, and ac- 
companied by an escort to prevent his holding any communica- 
tion with the inhabitants in the streets. " The Christian sove- 
reigns," said Hamet to those about him, " have made this offer in 
consequence of their despair. The silence of their batteries 
proves the truth of what has been told us, that their powder is 
exhausted. They have no longer the means of demolishing our 
walls ; and if they remain much longer, the autumnal rains will 
interrupt their convoys, and fill their camp with famine and dis- 
ease. The first storm will disperse their fleet, which has no 
neighboring port of shelter : Africa will then be open to us, to 
procure reinforcements and supplies." 

The words of Hamet el Zegri were hailed as oracular, by his 
adherents. Many of the peaceful part of the community, how- 
ever, ventured to remonstrate, and to implore him to accept the 
proffered mercy. The stern Hamet silenced them with a terrific 
threat : he declared, that whoever should talk of capitulating, or 
should hold any communication with the Christians, should be 
put to death. The Gomeres, like true men of the sword, acted 
upon the menace of their chieftain as upon a written law, and 
having detected several of the inhabitants in secret corres- 
pondence with the enemy, set upon and slew them, and confiscated 
their effects. This struck such terror into the citizens, that those 
who had been loudest in their murmurs became suddenly mute, 
and were remarked as evincing the greatest bustle and alacrity in 
the defence of the city. 

When the messenger returned to the camp, and reported the 
contemptuous reception of the royal message, king Ferdinand 
was exceedingly indignant. Finding the cessation of firing, on 



320 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the queen's arrival, had encouraged a belief among the enemy 
that there was a scarcity of powder in the camp, he ordered a 
general discharge from all the batteries. The sudden burst of 
war from every quarter soon convinced the Moors of their error, 
and completed the confusion of the citizens, who knew not which 
most to dread, their assailants or their defenders, the Christians 
or the Gomeres. 

That evening the sovereigns visited the encampment of the 
marques of Cadiz, which commanded a view over a great part of 
the city, the camp, and the sea with its flotillas. The tent of the 
marques was of great magnitude, furnished with hangings of rich 
brocade and French cloth of the rarest texture. It was in the 
oriental style ; and, as it crowned the height, with the surround- 
ing tents of other cavaliers, all sumptuously furnished, presented 
a gay and silken contrast to the opposite towers of Gribralfaro. 
Here a splendid collation was served up to the sovereigns ; and 
the courtly revel that prevailed in this chivalrous encampment, 
the glitter of pageantry, and the bursts of festive music, made 
more striking the gloom and silence that reigned over the Moor- 
ish castle. 

The marques of Cadiz, while it was yet light, conducted his 
royal visitors to every point that commanded a view of the war- 
like scene below. He caused the heavy lombards also to be dis- 
charged, that the queen and ladies of the court might witness the 
effect of those tremendous engines. The fair dames were filled 
with awe and admiration, as the mountain shook beneath their 
feet with the thunder of the artillery, and they beheld great frag- 
ments of the Moorish walls tumbling down the rocks and pre- 
cipices. 

While the good marques was displaying these things to his 
royal guests, he lifted up his eyes, and to his astonishment beheld 
his own banner hanging out from the nearest tower of Gribralfaro. 






INSULT TO THE MARQUES OF CADIZ. 321 



The blood mantled in his cheek, for it was a banner which he had 
lost at the time of the memorable massacre of the heights of 
Malaga.* To make this taunt more evident, several of the 
Gromeres displayed themselves upon the battlements, arrayed in 
the helmets and cuirasses of some of the cavaliers slain or cap- 
tured on that occasion. The marques of Cadiz restrained his in- 
dignation, and held his peace ; but several of his cavaliers vowed 
loudly to revenge this cruel bravado, on the ferocious garrison of 
Gibralfaro. 

* Diego de Valera. Cronica, MS. 



322 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LVL 

Attack of the marques of Cadiz upon Gibralfaro. 

The marques of Cadiz was not a cavalier that readily forgave an 
injury or an insult. On the morning after the royal banquet, his 
batteries opened a tremendous fire upon Gibralfaro. All day, 
the encampment was wrapped in wreaths of smoke ; nor did the 
assault cease with the day — but, throughout the night, there was 
an incessant flashing and thundering of the lombards, and, the 
following morning, the assault rather increased than slackened in 
fury. The Moorish bulwarks were no proof against those formi- 
dable engines. In a few days, the lofty tower on which the 
taunting banner had been displayed, was shattered ; a smaller 
tower in its vicinity reduced to ruins, and a great breach made 
in the intervening walls. 

Several of the hot-spirited cavaliers were eager for storming 
the breach, sword in hand ; others, more cool and wary, pointed 
out the rashness of such an attempt ; for the Moors had worked 
indefatigably in the night ; they had digged a deep ditch within 
the breach, and had fortified it with palisadoes and a high breast- 
work. All, however, agreed that the camp might safely be ad- 
vanced near to the ruined walls, and that it ought to be done so, 
in return for the insolent defiance of the enemy. 

The marques of Cadiz felt the temerity of the measure, but 
was unwilling to dampen the zeal of these high-spirited cavaliers j 



PONCE DE LEON. 323 



and having chosen the post of danger in the camp, it did not 
become him to decline any service, merely because it might ap- 
pear perilous. He ordered his outposts, therefore, to be advanced 
within a stone's-throw of the breach, but exhorted the soldiers to 
maintain the utmost ^gilance. 

The thunder of the batteries had ceased; the troops, ex- 
hausted by two nights' fatigue and watchfulness, and apprehend- 
ing no danger from the dismantled walls, were half of them 
asleep ; the rest were scattered about in negligent security. On 
a sudden, upwards of two thousand Moors sallied forth from the 
castle, led on by Ibrahim Zenete, the principal captain under 
Hamet. They fell with fearful havoc upon the advanced guard, 
slaying many of them in their sleep, and putting the rest to head- 
long flight. 

The marques was in his tent, about a bow-shot distant, when 
he heard the tumult of the onset, and beheld his men flying in 
confusion. He rushed forth, followed by his standard-bearer. 
" Turn again, cavaliers !" exclaimed he ; "I am here, Ponce de 
Leon ! to the foe ! to the foe I" The flying troops stopped at 
hearing his well-known voice, rallied under his banner, and turned 
upon the enemy. The encampment, by this time, was roused ; 
several cavaliers from the adjoining stations had hastened to the 
scene of action, with a number of G-alicians and soldiers of the 
Holy Brotherhood. An obstinate and bloody contest ensued ; 
the ruggedness of the place, the rocks, chasms, and declivities, 
broke it into numerous combats : Christian and Moor fought hand 
to hand, with swords and daggers ; and often, grappling and 
struggling, rolled together down the precipices. 

The banner of the marques was in danger of being taken : he 
hastened to its rescue, followed by some of his bravest cavaliers. 
They were surrounded by the enemy, and several of them cut 
down. Don Diego Ponce de Leon, brother to the marques, was 



334 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



wounded by an arrow ; and his son-in-law, Luis Ponce, was like- 
wise wounded : they succeeded, however, in rescuing the banner, 
and bearing it off in safety. The battle lasted for an hour ; the 
height was covered with killed and wounded, and the blood flowed 
in streams down the rocks ; at length, Ibrajiim Zenete being dis- 
abled by the thrust of a lance, the Moors gave way and retreated 
to the castle. 

They now opened a galling fire from their battlements and 
towers, approaching the breaches so as to discharge their cross- 
bows and arquebusses into the advanced guard of the encamp- 
ment. The marques was singled out ; the shot fell thick about 
him, and one passed through his buckler, and struck upon his 
cuirass, but without doing him any injury. Every one now saw 
the danger and inutility of approaching the camp thus near to 
the castle ; and those who had counselled it, were now urgent 
that it should be withdrawn. It was accordingly removed back 
to its original ground, from which the marques had most reluc- 
tantly advanced it. Nothing but his valor and timely aid had 
prevented this attack on his outpost from ending in a total rout 
of all that part of the army. 

Many cavaliers of distinction fell in this contest ; but the loss 
of none was felt more deeply than that of Ortega del Prado, cap- 
tain of escaladors. He was one of the bravest men in the ser- 
vice ; the same who had devised the first successful blow of the 
war, the storming of Alhama, where he was the first to plant and 
mount the scaling-ladders. He had always been high in the 
favor and confidence of the noble Ponce de Leon, who knew how 
to appreciate and avail himself of the merits of all able and 
valiant men.* 

* Zurita. Mariana. Abarca. 



CONTINUATION OF THE SIEGE. 325 



CHAPTER LVII. 

Siege of Malaga continued. — Stratagems of various kinds. 

Great were the exertions now made, both by the besiegers and 
the besieged, to carry on this contest with the utmost vigor. 
Hamet went the rounds of the walls and towers, doubling the 
guards, and putting every thing in the best posture of defence. 
The garrison was divided into parties of a hundred, to each of 
which a captain was appointed. Some were to patrol, others to 
sally forth and skirmish with the enemy, and others to hold them- 
selves armed and in reserve. Six albatozas, or floating batteries, 
were manned and armed with pieces of artillery, to attack the 
fleet. 

On the other hand, the Castilian sovereigns kept open a com- 
munication by sea with various parts of Spain, from which they 
received provisions of all kinds ; they ordered supplies of powder 
also from Valencia, Barcelona, Sicily, and Portugal. They made 
great preparations also for storming the city. Towers of wood 
were constructed, to move on wheels, each capable of holding one 
hundred men ; they were furnished with ladders, to be thrown 
from their summits to the tops of the walls ; and within those 
ladders others were encased, to be let down for the descent of 
the troops into the city. There were gallipagos or tortoises, also, 
being great wooden shields, covered with hides, to protect the 
assailants, and those who undermined the walls. 



326 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Secret mines were commenced in various places ; some were 
intended to reach to the foundations of the walls, which were to 
be propped up with wood, ready to be set on fire ; others were to 
pass under the walls, and remain ready to be broken open so as to 
give entrance to the besiegers. At these mines the army worked 
day and night ; and during these secret preparations, the ordnance 
kept up a fire upon the city, to divert the attention of the besieged. 

In the mean time, Hamet displayed wonderful vigor and in- 
genuity in defending the city, and in repairing or fortifying, by 
deep ditches, the breaches made by the enemy. He noted, also, 
every place where the camp might be assailed with advantage, 
and gave the besieging army no repose night or day. While his 
troops sallied on the land, his floating batteries attacked the be- 
siegers on the sea ; so that there was incessant skirmishing. The 
tents called the Queen's Hospital were crowded with wounded, and 
the whole army suffered from constant watchfulness and fatigue. 
To guard against the sudden assaults of the Moors, the trenches 
were deepened, and palisadoes erected in front of the camp ; and 
in that part facing Gribralfaro, where the rocky heights did not 
admit of such defences, a high rampart of earth was thrown up. 
The cavaliers G-arcilasso de la Vega, Juan de Zuniga, and Diego 
de Atayde, were appointed to go the rounds, and keep vigilant 
watch that these fortifications were maintained in good order. 

In a little while, Hamet discovered the mines secretly com- 
menced by the Christians : he immediately ordered counter- 
mines. The soldiers mutually worked until they met and fought 
hand to hand, in these subterranean passages. The Christians 
were driven out of one of their mines ; fire was set to the wooden 
framework, and the mine destroyed. Encouraged by this success, 
the Moors attempted a general attack upon the camp, the mines, 
and the besieging fleet. The battle lasted for six hours, on land 
and water, above and below ground, on bulwark, and in trench 



PROJECT TO BETRAY THE CITY. 327 



and mine ; the Moors displayed wonderful intrepidity, but were 
finally repulsed at all points, and obliged to retire into the city, 
where they were closely invested, without the means of receiving 
any assistance from abroad. 

The horrors of famine were now added to the other miseries 
of Malaga. Hamet, with the spirit of a man bred up to war, 
considered every thing as subservient to the wants of the soldier, 
and ordered all the grain in the city to be gathered and garnered 
up for the sole use of those who fought. Even this was dealt out 
sparingly, and each soldier received four ounces of bread in the 
morning, and two in the evening, for his daily allowance. 

The wealthy inhabitants, and all those peacefully inclined, 
mourned over a resistance which brought destruction upon their 
houses, death into their families, and which they saw must end in 
their ruin and captivity : still none of them dared to speak 
openly of capitulation, or even to manifest their grief, lest they 
should awaken the wrath of their fierce defenders. They sur- 
rounded their civic champion, Ali Dordux, the great and opulent 
merchant, who had buckled on shield and cuirass, and taken spear 
in hand for the defence of his native city, and, with a large body 
of the braver citizens, had charge of one of the gates and a con- 
siderable portion of the walls. Drawing Ali Dordux aside, they 
poured forth their griefs to him in secret. " Why," said they, 
" should we suffer our native city to be made a mere bulwark and 
fighting-place for foreign barbarians and desperate men ? They 
have no families to care for, no property to lose, no love for the 
soil, and no value for their lives. They fight to gratify a thirst 
for blood or a desire for revenge, and will fight on until Malaga 
becomes a ruin and its people slaves. Let us think and act for 
ourselves, our wives and our children. Let us make private terms 
with the Christians before it is too late, and save ourselves from 
destruction." 



328 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The bowels of Ali Dordux yearned towards his fellow-citi- 
zens ; he bethought him also of the sweet security of peace, and 
the bloodless yet gratifying triumphs of gainful traffic. The idea 
also of a secret negotiation or bargain with the Castilian sove- 
reigns, for the redemption of his native city, was more confor- 
mable to his accustomed habits than this violent appeal to arms ; 
for though he had for a time assumed the warrior, he had not 
forgotten the merchant. Ali Dordux communed, therefore, with 
the citizen-soldiers under his command, and they readily con- 
formed to his opinion. Concerting together, they wrote a propo- 
sition to the Castilian sovereigns, offering to admit the army into 
the part of the city intrusted to their care, on receiving assurance 
of protection for the lives and properties of the inhabitants. 
This writing they delivered to a trusty emissary to take to the 
Christian camp, appointing the hour and place of his return, that 
they might be ready to admit him unperceived. 

The Moor made his way in safety to the camp, and was ad- 
mitted to the presence of the sovereigns. Eager to gain the city 
without further cost of blood or treasure, they gave a written 
promise to grant the condition ; and the Moor set out joyfully on 
his return. As he approached the walls where Ali Dordux and 
his confederates were waiting to receive him, he was descried by 
a patrolling band of Gomeres, and considered a spy coming from 
the camp of the besiegers. They issued forth and seized him, in 
sight of his employers, who gave themselves up for lost. The 
Gomeres had conducted him nearly to the gate, when he escaped 
from their grasp and fled. They endeavored to overtake him, 
but were encumbered with armor ; he was lightly clad, and he 
fled for his life. One of the Gomeres paused, and, levelling his 
cross-bow, let fly a bolt, which pierced the fugitive between the 
shoulders ; he fell, and was nearly within their grasp, but rose 
again and with a desperate effort attained the Christian camp. 



FATE OF THE MESSENGER. 329 



The Gromeres gave over the pursuit, and the citizens returned 
thanks to Allah for their deliverance from this fearful pezil. As 
to the faithful messenger, he died of his wound shortly after 
reaching the camp, consoled with the idea that he had preserved 
the secret and the lives of his employers.* 

Pulgar. Cronica, p. 3, c. 80. 



330 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LVIII. 

Sufferings of the people of Malaga. 

The sufferings of Malaga spread sorrow and anxiety among the 
Moors ; and they dreaded lest this beautiful city, once the bul- 
wark of the kingdom, should fall into the hands of the unbe- 
lievers. The old warrior king, Abdallah el Zagal, was still shel- 
tered in Guadix, where he was slowly gathering together his shat- 
tered forces. When the people of Guadix heard of the danger and 
distress of Malaga, they urged to be led to its relief; and the 
alfaquis admonished El Zagal not to desert so righteous and 
loyal a city, in its extremity. His own warlike nature made him 
feel a sympathy for a place that made so gallant a resistance ; 
and he dispatched as powerful a reinforcement as he could spare, 
under conduct of a chosen captain, with orders to throw them- 
selves into the city. 

Intelligence of this reinforcement reached Boabdil el Chico, 
in his royal palace of the Alhambra. Filled with hostility 
against his uncle, and desirous of proving his loyalty to the 
Castilian sovereigns, he immediately sent forth a superior force 
of horse and foot, under an able commander, to intercept the 
detachment. A sharp conflict ensued ; the troops of El Zagal 
were routed with great loss, and fled back in confusion to Guadix. 

Boabdil not being accustomed to victories, was flushed with 
this melancholy triumph. He sent tidings of it to the Castilian 



FACTIOUS MURMURS. 331 



sovereigns, accompanied with rich silks, boxes of Arabian perfume, 
a cup of gold, richly wrought, and a female captive of Ubeda, as 
presents to the queen ; and four Arabian steeds magnificently 
caparisoned, a sword and dagger richly mounted, and several al- 
bornozes and other robes sumptuously embroidered, for the king. 
He entreated them, at the same time, always to look upon him 
with favor as their devoted vassal. 

Boabdil was fated to be unfortunate, even in his victories. 
His defeat of the forces of his uncle, destined to the relief of un- 
happy Malaga, shocked the feelings and cooled the loyalty of 
many of his best adherents. The mere men of traffic might re- 
joice in their golden interval of peace ; but the chivalrous spirits 
of Granada spurned a security purchased by such sacrifices of 
pride and affection. The people at large, having gratified their 
love of change, began to question whether they had acted gene- 
rously by their old fighting monarch. " El Zagal," said they, 
" was fierce and bloody, but then he was faithful to his country ; 
he was an usurper, it is true, but then he maintained the glory of 
the crown which he usurped. If his sceptre was a rod of iron to 
his subjects, it was a sword of steel against their enemies. This 
Boabdil sacrifices religion, friends, country, every thing, to a 
mere shadow of royalty, and is content to hold a rush for a 
sceptre." 

These factious murmurs soon reached the ears of Boabdil, and 
he apprehended another of his customary reverses. He sent in 
all haste to the Castilian sovereigns, beseeching military aid to 
keep him on his throne. Ferdinand graciously complied with a 
request so much in unison with his policy. A detachment of one 
thousand cavalry, and two thousand infantry, was sent, under the 
command of Don Fernandez Gonsalvo of Cordova, subsequently 
renowned as the grand captain. With this succor, Boabdil ex- 
pelled from the city all those who were hostile to him, and in fa- 



332 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



vor of his uncle. He felt secure in these troops, from their being 
distinct in manners, language, and religion, from his subjects ; 
and compromised with his pride, in thus exhibiting that most un- 
natural and humiliating of all regal spectacles, a monarch sup- 
ported on his throne by foreign weapons and by soldiers hostile 
to his people. 

Nor was Boabdil el Chico the only Moorish sovereign that 
sought protection from Ferdinand and Isabella. A splendid gal- 
ley, with latine sails, and several banks of oars, displaying the 
standard of the crescent, but likewise a white flag in sign of 
amity, came one day into the harbor. An ambassador landed 
from it, within the Christian lines. He came from the king of 
Tremezan, and brought presents similar to those of Boabdil, con- 
sisting of Arabian coursers, with bits, stirrups, and other furni- 
ture of gold, together with costly Moorish mantles : for the queen, 
there were sumptuous shawls, robes, and silken stuffs, ornaments 
of gold, and exquisite oriental perfumes. 

The king of Tremezan had been alarmed at the rapid con- 
quests of the Spanish arms, and startled by the descent of several 
Spanish cruisers on the coast of Africa. He craved to be consi- 
dered a vassal to the Castilian sovereigns, and that they would 
extend such favor and security to his ships and subjects as had 
been shown to other Moors who had submitted to their sway. 
He requested a painting of their arms, that he and his subjects 
might recognize and respect their standard, whenever they en- 
countered it. At the same time he implored their clemency to- 
wards unhappy Malaga, and that its inhabitants might experience 
the same favor that had been shown towards the Moors of other 
captured cities. 

The embassy was graciously received by the Christian sove- 
reigns. They granted the protection required ; ordering their 
commanders to respect the flag of Tremezan, unless it should be 



SUFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE. 333 



found rendering assistance to the enemy. They sent also to the 
Barbary monarch their royal arms, moulded in escutcheons of 
gold, a hand's-breadth in size.* 

While thus the chances of assistance from without daily de- 
creased, famine raged in the city. The inhabitants were com- 
pelled to eat the flesh of horses, and many died of hunger. What 
made the sufferings of the citizens the more intolerable, was, to 
behold the sea covered with ships, daily arriving with provisions 
for the besiegers. Day after day, also, they saw herds of fat cat- 
tle, and flocks of sheep, driven into the camp. Wheat and flour 
were piled in huge mounds in the centre of the encampments, 
glaring in the sunshine, and tantalizing the wretched citizens, 
who, while they and their children were perishing with hunger, 
beheld prodigal abundance reigning within a bowshot of their 
walls. 

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 84. Pulgar, part 3, c. 68. 



334 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






CHAPTER LIX. 

How a Moorish santon undertook to deliver the city of Malaga from the 
power of its enemies. 

There lived at this time, in a hamlet in the neighborhood of 
Guadix, an ancient Moor, of the name of Ibrahim el Guerbi. He 
was a native of the island of Guerbes, in the kingdom of Tunis, 
and had for several years led the life of a santon or hermit. The 
hot sun of Africa had dried his blood, and rendered him of an 
exalted yet melancholy temperament. He passed most of his 
time in caves of the mountains, in meditation, prayer, and rigor- 
ous abstinence, until his body was wasted and his mind bewilder- 
ed, and he fancied himself favored with divine revelations, and 
visited by angels, sent by Mahomet. The Moors, who have a 
great reverence for all enthusiasts of the kind, believed in his be- 
ing inspired, listened to all his ravings as veritable prophecies, 
and denominated him d santo, or the saint. 

The woes of the kingdom of Granada had long exasperated 
the gloomy spirit of this man, and he had beheld with indigna- 
tion this beautiful country wrested from the dominion of the faith- 
ful, and becoming a prey to the unbelievers. He had implored 
the blessings of Allah on the troops which issued forth from 
Guadix for the relief of Malaga ; but when he saw them return, 
routed and scattered by their own countrymen, he retired to his 



THE MOORISH SANTON. 335 



cell, shut himself up from the world, and was plunged for a time 
in the blackest melancholy. 

On a sudden he made his appearance again in the streets of 
Guadix, his face haggard, his form emaciated, but his eye beam- 
ing with fire. He said that Allah had sent an angel to him in 
the solitude of his cell, revealing to him a mode of delivering 
Malaga from its perils, and striking horror and confusion into 
the camp of the unbelievers. The Moors listened with eager cre- 
dulity to his words : four hundred of them offered to follow him 
even to the death, and to obey implicitly his commands. Of 
this number many were Gomeres, anxious to relieve their coun- 
trymen, who formed part of the garrison of Malaga. 

They traversed the kingdom by the wild and lonely passes of 
the mountains, concealing themselves in the day and travelling 
only in the night, to elude the Christian scouts. At length they 
arrived at the mountains which tower above Malaga, and, looking 
down, beheld the city completely invested ; a chain of encamp- 
ments extending round it from shore to shore, and a line of ships 
blockading it by sea ; while the continual thunder of artillery, 
and the smoke rising in various parts, showed that the siege was 
pressed with great activity. The hermit scanned the encamp- 
ments warily, from his lofty height. He saw that the part of the 
encampment of the marques of Cadiz which was at the foot of the 
height, and on the margin of the sea, was most assailable, the 
rocky soil not admitting ditches or palisadoes. Remaining con- 
cealed all day, he descended with his followers at night to the 
sea-coast, and approached silently to the' outworks. He had given 
them their instructions ; they were to rush suddenly upon the 
camp, fight their way through, and throw themselves into the 
city. 

It was just at the gray of the dawning, when objects are ob- 
scurely visible, that they made this desperate attempt. Some 



336 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



sprang suddenly upon the sentinels, others rushed into the sea 
and got round the works, others clambered over the breastworks. 
There was sharp skirmishing ; a great part of the Moors were 
cut to pieces, but about two hundred succeeded in getting into 
the gates of Malaga. 

The santon took no part in the conflict, nor did he endeavor 
to enter the city. His plans were of a different nature. Draw- 
ing apart from the battle, he threw himself on his knees on a 
rising ground, and, lifting his hands to Heaven, appeared to be 
absorbed in prayer. The Christians, as they were searching for 
fugitives in the clefts of the rocks, found him at his devotions. 
He stirred not at their approach, but remained fixed as a statue, 
without changing color or moving a muscle. Filled with surprise, 
not unmingled with awe, they took him to the marques of Cadiz. 
He was wrapped in a coarse albornoz, or Moorish mantle ; his 
beard was long and grizzled, and there was something wild and 
melancholy in his look, that inspired curiosity. On being ex- 
amined, he gave himself out as a saint to whom Allah had re- 
vealed the events that were to take place in that siege. The 
marques demanded when and how Malaga was to be taken. He 
replied that he knew full well, but he was forbidden to reveal 
those important secrets except to the king and queen. The good 
marques was not more given to superstitious fancies than other 
commanders of his time, yet there seemed something singular 
and mysterious about this man ; he might have some important 
intelligence to communicate ; so he was persuaded to send him to 
the king and queen. He was conducted to the royal tent, sur- 
rounded by a curious multitude, exclaiming " El Moro Santo /" 
for the news had spread through the camp, that they had taken 
a Moorish prophet. 

The king, having dined, was taking his siesta, or afternoon's 
sleep, in his tent ; and the queen, though curious to see this sin- 



TREACHEROUS ATTACK. 337 



gular man, yet, from a natural delicacy and reserve, delayed until 
the king should be present. He was taken therefore to an ad- 
joining tent, in which were Dona Beatrix de Bovadilla, marchion- 
ess of Moya, and Don Alvaro of Portugal, son of the duke of 
Braganza, with two or three attendants. The Moor, ignorant of 
the Spanish tongue, had not understood the conversation of the 
guards, and supposed, from the magnificence of the furniture and 
the silken hangings, that this was the royal tent. From the re- 
spect paid by the attendants to Don Alvaro and the marchioness, 
he concluded that they were the king and queen. 

He now asked for a draught of water ; a jar was brought to 
him, and the guard released his arm to enable him to drink. The 
marchioness perceived a sudden change in his countenance, and 
something sinister in the expression of his eye, and shifted her 
position to a more remote part of the tent. Pretending to raise 
the water to his lips, the Moor unfolded his albornoz, so as to 
grasp a scimetar which he wore concealed beneath ; then, dashing 
down the jar, he drew his weapon, and gave Don Alvaro a blow 
on the head, that struck him to the earth and nearly deprived 
him of life. Turning then upon the marchioness, he made a vio- 
lent blow at her ; but in his eagerness and agitation, his scimetar 
caught in the drapery of the tent ; the force of the blow was 
broken, and the weapon struck harmless upon some golden orna- 
ments of her head-dress. # 

Buy Lopez de Toledo, treasurer to the queen, and Juan de 
Belalcazar, a sturdy friar, who were present, grappled and strug- 
gled with the desperado ; and immediately the guards, who had 
conducted him from the marques de Cadiz, fell upon him and cut 
him to pieces, t 

The king and queen, brought out of their tents by the noise, 

* Pietro Martyr, Epist. 62. t Cura de los Palacios. 

15 



338 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



were filled with horror when they learned the imminent peril from 
which they had escaped. The mangled body of the Moor was 
taken by the people to the camp, and thrown into the city from a 
catapult. The G-omeres gathered up the body with deep rever- 
ence, as the remains of a saint ; they washed and perfumed it, 
and buried it with great honor and loud lamentations. In re- 
venge of his death, they slew one of their principal Christian 
captives, and, having tied his body upon an ass, they drove the 
animal forth into the camp. 

From this time, there was appointed an additional guard 
around the tents of the king and queen, composed of four hun- 
dred cavaliers of rank, of the kingdoms of Castile and Arragon. 
No person was admitted to the royal presence armed ; no Moor 
was allowed to enter the camp, without a previous knowledge of 
his character and business ; and on no account was any Moor to 
be introduced into the presence of the sovereigns. 

An act of treachery of such ferocious nature, gave rise to a 
train of gloomy apprehensions. There were many cabins and 
sheds about the camp, constructed of branches of trees which had 
become dry and combustible ; and fears were entertained that 
they might be set on fire by the Mudexares or Moorish vassals, 
who visited the army. Some even dreaded that attempts might 
be made to poison the wells and fountains. To quiet these dis- 
mal alarms, all Mudexares were ordered to leave the camp ; and 
all loose, idle loiterers, who could not give a good account of them- 
selves, were taken into custody. 



THE MOORISH ASTROLOGER. 339 



CHAPTER LX. 

How Hamet el Zegri was hardened in his obstinacy, by the arts of a Moor- 
ish Astrologer. 

Among those followers of the santon that had effected their en- 
trance into the city, was a dark African of the tribe of the Go- 
meres, who was likewise a hermit or dervise, and passed among 
the Moors for a holy and inspired man. No sooner were the 
mangled remains of his predecessor buried with the honors of 
martyrdom, than this dervise elevated himself in his place, and 
professed to be gifted with the spirit of prophecy. He displayed 
a white banner, which, he assured the Moors, was sacred ; that he 
had retained it for twenty years for some signal purpose, and 
that Allah had revealed to him that under that banner the inhab- 
itants of Malaga should sally forth upon the camp of the unbe- 
lievers, put it to utter rout, and banquet upon the provisions in 
which it abounded.* The hungry and credulous Moors were 
elated at this prediction, and cried out to be led forth at once to 
the attack ; but the dervise told them the time was not yet ar- 
rived, for every event had its allotted day in the decrees of fate ; 
they must wait patiently, therefore, until the appointed time 
should be revealed to him by Heaven. Hamet el Zegri listened 
to the dervise with profound reverence, and his example had great 

* Cura cle los Palacios, cap. 84. 



340 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



effect in increasing the awe and deference of his followers. He 
took the holy man up into his stronghold of Gibralfaro, consulted 
him on all occasions, and hung out his white banner on the 
loftiest tower, as a signal of encouragement to the people of the 
city. 

In the mean time, the prime chivalry of Spain was gradually 
assembling before the walls of Malaga. The army which had 
commenced the siege had been worn out by extreme hardships, 
having had to construct immense works, to dig trenches and mines, 
to mount guard by sea and land, to patrol the mountains, and to 
sustain incessant conflicts. The sovereigns were obliged, there- 
fore, to call upon various distant cities, for reinforcements of horse 
and foot. Many nobles, also, assembled their vassals, and re- 
paired, of their own accord, to the royal camp. 

Every little while, some stately galley or gallant caravel 
would stand into the harbor, displaying the well-known banner of 
some Spanish cavalier, and thundering from its artillery a saluta- 
tion to the sovereigns and a defiance to the Moors. On the land 
side also, reinforcements would be. seen, winding down from the 
mountains to the sound of drum and trumpet, and marching into 
the camp with glistening arms, as yet unsullied by the toils of 
war. 

One morning, the whole sea was whitened by the sails and 
vexed by the oars of ships and galleys bearing towards the port. 
One hundred vessels of various kinds and sizes arrived, some 
armed for warlike service, others deep freighted with provisions. 
At the same time, the clangor of drum and trumpet bespoke the 
arrival of a powerful force by land, which came pouring in length- 
ening columns into the camp. This mighty reinforcement was 
furnished by the duke of Medina Sidonia, who reigned like a 
petty monarch over his vast possessions. He came with this 
princely force, a volunteer to the royal standard, not having been 



HAMET REFUSES TO SURRENDER. 341 



summoned by the sovereigns ; and he brought, moreover, a loan 
of twenty thousand doblas of gold. 

"When the camp was thus powerfully reinforced, Isabella ad- 
vised that new offers of an indulgent kind should be made to the 
inhabitants ; for she was anxious to prevent the miseries of a 
protracted siege, or the effusion of blood that must attend a 
general attack. A fresh summons was therefore sent for the 
city to surrender, with a promise of life, liberty, and property, 
in case of immediate compliance ; but denouncing all the horrors 
of war, if the defence were obstinately continued. 

Hamet again rejected the offer with scorn. His main fortifi- 
cations as yet were but little impaired, and were capable of 
holding out much longer ; he trusted to the thousand evils and 
accidents that beset a besieging army, and to the inclemencies of 
the approaching season ; and it is said that he, as well as his 
followers, had an infatuated belief in the predictions of the 
dervise. 

The worthy Fray Antonio Agapida does not scruple to affirm, 
that the pretended prophet of the city was an arch nigromancer, 
or Moorish magician, " of which there be countless many," says 
he, " in the filthy sect of Mahomet ;" and that he was leagued 
with the prince of the powers of the air, to endeavor to work the 
confusion and defeat of the Christian army. The worthy father 
asserts, also, that Hamet employed him in a high tower of the 
Gribralfaro, which commanded a wide view over sea and land, 
where he wrought spells and incantations with astrolabes and 
other diabolical instruments, to defeat the Christian ships and 
forces, whenever they were engaged with the Moors. 

To the potent spells of this sorcerer, he ascribes the perils 
and losses sustained by a party of cavaliers of the royal house- 
hold, in a desperate combat to gain two towers of the suburb, 
near the gate of the city, called la Puerto de Granada. The 



342 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Christians, led on by Ruy Lopez de Toledo, the valiant treasurer 
of the queen, took, and lost, and retook the towers, which were 
finally set on fire by the Moors, and abandoned to the flames by 
both parties. To the same malignant influence he attributes the 
damage done to the Christian fleet, which was so vigorously as- 
sailed by the albatozas, or floating batteries of the Moors, that 
one ship, belonging to the duke of Medina Sidonia, was sunk, 
and the rest were obliged to retire. 

"Hamet el Zegri," says Fray Antonio Agapida, "stood on 
the top of the high tower of Gribralfaro, and beheld this injury 
wrought upon the Christian force ; and his proud heart was puffed 
up. And the Moorish nigromancer stood beside him. And he 
pointed out to him the Christian host below, encamped on every 
eminence around the city, and covering its fertile valley, and the 
many ships floating upon the tranquil sea ; and he bade him be 
strong of heart, for that in a few days all this mighty fleet would 
be scattered by the winds of Heaven ; and that he should sally 
forth, under the guidance of the sacred banner, and attack this 
host and utterly defeat it, and make spoil of those sumptuous 
tents ; and Malaga should be triumpantly revenged upon her 
assailants. So the heart of Hamet was hardened like that of 
Pharaoh, and he persisted in setting at defiance the Catholic 
sovereigns and their army of saintly warriors. 



A TOWER UNDERMINED. 343 



CHAPTER LXI. 

Siege of Malaga continued. — Destruction of a tower, by Francisco Ramirez 

de Madrid. 

Seeing the infatuated obstinacy of the besieged, the Christians 
now approached their works to the walls, gaining one position 
after another, preparatory to a general assault. Near the barrier 
of the city was a bridge with four arches, defended at each end 
by a strong and lofty tower, by which a part of the army would 
have to pass in making an attack. The commander-in-chief of 
the artillery, Francisco Ramirez de Madrid, was ordered to take 
possession of this bridge. The approach to it was perilous in the 
extreme, from the exposed situation of the assailants, and the 
number of Moors that garrisoned the towers. Francisco Ramirez, 
therefore, secretly excavated a mine leading beneath the first 
tower, and placed a piece of ordnance with its mouth upwards, 
immediately under the foundation, with a train of powder to 
produce an explosion at the necessary moment. 

When this was arranged, he advanced slowly with his forces 
in face of the towers, erecting bulwarks at every step, and gradu- 
ally gaining ground, until he arrived near to the bridge. He 
then planted several pieces of artillery in his works, and began 
to batter the tower. The Moors replied bravely from their battle- 
ments ; but, in the heat of the combat, the piece of ordnance 
under the foundation was discharged. The earth was rent open, 



344 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



a part of the tower overthrown, and several of the Moors were 
torn to pieces ; the rest took to flight, overwhelmed with terror 
at this thundering explosion bursting beneath their feet, and at 
beholding the earth vomiting flames and smoke ; for never before 
had they witnessed such a stratagem in warfare. The Christians 
rushed forward and took possession of the abandoned post, and 
immediately commenced an attack upon the other tower at the 
opposite end of the bridge, to which the Moors had retired. An 
incessant fire of cross-bows and arquebusses was kept up between 
the rival towers, volleys of stones were discharged, and no one 
dared to venture upon the intermediate bridge. 

Francisco de Ramirez at length renewed his former mode 
of approach, making bulwarks step by step, while the Moors, sta- 
tioned at the other end, swept the bridge with their artillery. The 
cambat was long and bloody, — furious on the part of the Moors, 
patient and persevering on the part of the Christians. By slow 
degrees, they accomplished their advance across the bridge, drove 
the enemy before them, and remained masters of this important 



For this valiant and skilful achievement, king Ferdinand, 
after the surrender of the city, conferred the dignity of knight- 
hood upon Francisco Ramirez, in the tower which he had so glo- 
riously gained.* The worthy padre Fray Antonio Agapida in- 
dulges- in more than a page of extravagant eulogy, upon this 
invention of blowing up the foundation of the tower by a piece 
of ordnance, which, in fact, is said to be the first instance on 
record of gunpowder being used in a mine. 

* Pulgar, part 3, c. 91. 



EXPOSTULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE. 345 



CHAPTER LXII. 

How the people of Malaga expostulated with Hamet el Zegri. 

While the dervise was deluding the garrison of Malaga with 
vain hopes, the famine increased to a terrible degree. The 
Gomeres ranged about the city as though it had been a con- 
quered place, taking by force whatever they found eatable in the 
houses of the peaceful citizens ; and breaking open vaults and 
cellars, and demolishing walls, wherever they thought provisions 
might be concealed. 

The wretched inhabitants had no longer bread to eat; the 
horse-flesh also now failed them, and they were fain to devour 
skins and hides toasted at the fire, and to assuage the hunger of 
their children with vine-leaves cut up and fried in oil. Many 
perished of famine, or of the unwholesome food with which they 
endeavored to relieve it ; and many took refuge in the Christian 
camp, preferring captivity to the horrors which surrounded them. 

At length the sufferings of the inhabitants became so great, 
as to conquer even their fears of Hamet and his Gomeres. They 
assembled before the house of Ali Dordux, the wealthy merchant, 
whose stately mansion was at the foot of the hill of the Alcazaba, 
and they urged him to stand forth as their leader, and to inter- 
cede with Hamet for a surrender. Ali Dordux was a man of 
courage, as well as policy; he perceived also that hunger was 
15* 



S46 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



giving boldness to the citizens, while he trusted it was subduing 
the fierceness of the soldiery. He armed himself, therefore, cap- 
a-pie, and undertook this dangerous parley with the alcayde. He 
associated with him an alfaqui named Abraham Alhariz, and an 
important inhabitant named Amar ben Amar ; and they ascended 
to the fortress of Gribralfaro, followed by several of the trembling 
merchants. 

They found Hamet el Zegri, not, as before, surrounded by 
ferocious guards and all the implements of war ; but in a cham- 
ber of one of the lofty towers, at a table of stone, covered with 
scrolls traced with strange characters and mystic diagrams ; while 
instruments of singular and unknown form lay about the room. 
Beside Hamet stood the prophetic dervise, who appeared to have 
been explaining to him the mysterious inscriptions of the scrolls. 
His presence filled the citizens with awe, for even Ali Dordux 
considered him a man inspired. 

The alfaqui Abraham Alhariz, whose sacred character gave 
him boldness to speak, now lifted up his voice, and addressed 
Hamet el Zegri. " We implore thee," said he, solemnly, " in the 
name of the most powerful God, no longer to persist in a vain re- 
sistance, which must end in our destruction, but deliver up the 
city while clemency is yet to be obtained. Think how many of 
our warriors have fallen by the sword ; do not suffer those who 
survive to perish by famine. Our wives and children cry to us 
for bread, and we have none to give them. We see them expire 
in lingering agony before our eyes, while the enemy mocks our 
misery by displaying the abundance of his camp. Of what avail 
is our defence ? Are our walls peradventure more strong than 
the walls of Honda? Are our warriors more brave than the de- 
fenders of Loxa 1 The walls of Honda were thrown down, and 
the warriors of Loxa had to surrender. Do we hope for succor % 
— whence are we to receive it ? The time for hope is gone by. 



ng 



HAMET'S REPLY. 347 



Granada has lost its power ; it no longer possesses chivalry, com- 
manders, nor a king. Boabdil sits a vassal in the degraded halls 
of the Alhambra ; El Zagal is a fugitive, shut up within the 
walls of Guadix. The kingdom is divided against itself, — its 
strength is gone, its pride fallen, its very existence at an end. 
In the name of Allah, we conjure thee, who art our captain, 
be not our direst enemy ; but surrender these ruins of our 
once happy Malaga, and deliver us from these overwhelming 
horrors." 

Such was the supplication forced from the inhabitants by the 
extremity of their sufferings. Hamet listened to the alfaqui 
without anger, for he respected the sanctity of his office. His 
heart, too, was at that moment lifted up with a vain confidence. 
u Yet a few days of patience," said he, " and all these evils will 
suddenly have an end. I have been conferring with this holy 
man, and find that the time of our deliverance is at hand. The 
decrees of fate are inevitable ; it is written in the book of destiny, 
that we shall sally forth and destroy the camp of the unbelievers, 
and banquet upon those mountains of grain which are piled up 
in the midst of it. So Allah hath promised, by the mouth of 
this his prophet. Allah Achbar ! God is great. Let no man op- 
pose the decrees of Heaven !" 

The citizens bowed with profound reverence, for no true Mos- 
lem pretends to struggle against whatever is written in the book 
of fate. Ali Dordux, who had come prepared to champion the 
city and to brave the ire of Hamet, humbled himself before this 
holy man, and gave faith to his prophecies as the revelations of 
Allah. So the deputies returned to the citizens, and exhorted 
them to be of good cheer : " A few days longer," said they, " and 
our sufferings are to terminate. When the white banner is re- 
moved from the tower, then look out for deliverance ; for the 



348 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



hour of sallying forth will have arrived." The people retired to 
their homes, with sorrowful hearts ; they tried in vain to quiet 
the cries of their famishing children ; and day by day, and hour 
by hour, their anxious eyes were turned to the sacred banner, 
which still continued to wave on the tower of Gibralfaro. 



SALLY AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN CAMP. 349 



CHAPTER LXIII. 

How Hamet el Zegri sallied forth with the sacred banner, to attack the 

Christian camp. 

" The Moorish nigromancer," observes the worthy Fray Antonio 
Agapida, " remained shut up in a tower of the Gibralfaro, de- 
vising devilish means to work mischief and discomfiture upon the 
Christians. He was daily consulted by Hamet, who had great 
faith in those black and magic arts, which he had brought with 
him from the bosom of heathen Africa." 

From the account given of this dervise and his incantations by 
the worthy father, it would appear that he was an astrologer, and 
was studying the stars, and endeavoring to calculate the day and 
hour when a successful attack might be made upon the Chris- 
tian camp. 

Famine had now increased to such a degree as to distress even 
the garrison of Gribralfaro, although the Gromeres had seized upon 
all the provisions they could find in the city. Their passions 
were sharpened by hunger, and they became restless and turbu- 
lent, and impatient for action. 

Hamet was one day in council with his captains, perplexed by 
the pressure of events, when the dervise entered among them. 
" The hour of victory," exclaimed he, " is at hand. Allah has 
commanded that to-morrow morning ye shall sally forth to the 
fight. I will bear before you the sacred banner, and deliver your 



350 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



enemies into your hands. Beineinber. however, that ye are but 
instruments in the hands of Allah, to take vengeance on the en- 
emies of the faith. Go into battle, therefore, with pure hearts, 
forgiving each other all past offences : for those who are charita- 
ble towards each other, will be victorious over the foe." The 

b of the dervise were received with rapture : all Gibralfaro 
and the Alcazaba resounded immediately with the din of arms : 
and Hamet sent throughout the towers and fortifications of the 
city, and selected the choicest troops and most distinguished cap- 
tains for this eventful combat. 

In the morning early, the rumor went throughout the city that 
the sacred banner had disappeared from the tower of Gibralfaro, 
and all Malaga was roused to witness the sally that was to de- 
stroy the unbelievers. Hamet descended from his stronghold, ac- 
companied by his principal captain. Ibrahim Zenete. and followed 
by his Gomeres. The dervise led the way. displaying the white 
banner, the sacred pledge of victory. The multitude shouted u Al- 
lah Achbar !' r and prostrated themselves before the banner a 

d. Even the dreaded Hamet was hailed with praises : for in 
their hopes of speedy relief through the prowess of his arm. the 
populace forgot every thing but his bravery. Every bosom in Mal- 
aga was agitated by hope and fear — the old men. the women and 
children, and all who went not forth to battle, mounted on tower and 
battlement and roof, to watch a combat that was to decide their fate. 

Before sallying forth from the city, the dervise addressed the 
rininding them of the holy nature of this enterprise, and 
warning them not to forfeit the protection of the sacred banner 
by any unworthy act. They were not to pause to make spoil nor 
ke prisoners : they were to press forward, fighting valiantly, 
and granting no garter. The gate was then thrown open, and 
the dervise issued forth, followed by the army. They directed 
their assaults upon the encampments of the master of Santiago 



DESPERATE ATTACK AND REPULSE. 351 



and the master of Alcantara, and came upon them so suddenly 
that they killed and wounded several of the guards. Ibrahim 
Zenete made his way into one of the tents, where he beheld seve- 
ral Christian striplings just starting from their slumber. The 
heart of the Moor was suddenly touched with pity for their youth, 
or perhaps he scorned the weakness of the foe. He smote them 
with the flat, instead of the edge of the sword. " Away, imps," 
cried he, " away to your mothers." The fanatic dervise reproach- 
ed him with his clemency — " I did not kill them," replied Zenete, 
u because I saw no beards !" # 

The alarm was given in the camp, and the Christians rushed 
from all quarters to defend the gates of the bulwarks. Don Pe- 
dro Puerto Carrero, senior of Moguer, and his brother Don 
Alonzo Pacheco, planted themselves, with their followers, in the 
gateway of the encampment of the master of Santiago, and bore 
the whole brunt of battle until they were reinforced. The gate 
of the encampment of the master of Calatrava was in like manner 
defended by Lorenzo Saurez de Mendoza. Hamet was furious at 
being thus checked, where he had expected a miraculous victory. 
He led his troops repeatedly to the attack, hoping to force the 
gates before succor should arrive : they fought with vehement 
ardor, but were as often repulsed ; and every time they returned 
to the assault, they found their enemies doubled in number. The 
Christians opened a cross-fire of all kinds of missiles, from their 
bulwarks ; the Moors could effect but little damage upon a foe 
thus protected behind their works, while they themselves were 
exposed from head to foot. The Christians singled out the most 
conspicuous cavaliers, the greater part of whom were either slain 
or wounded. Still the Moors, infatuated by the predictions of 
the prophet, fought desperately and devotedly, and they were fu- 

* Cava de los Palacios, c. 84. 



352 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






rious to revenge the slaughter of their leaders. They rushed 
upon certain death, endeavoring madly to scale the bulwarks or 
force the gates, and fell amidst showers of darts and lances, fill- 
ing the ditches with their mangled bodies. 

Hamet el Zegri raged along the front of the bulwarks, seek- 
ing an opening for attack. He gnashed his teeth with fury, as 
he saw so many of his chosen warriors slain around him. He 
seemed to have a charmed life ; for, though constantly in the 
hottest of the fight, amidst showers of missiles, he still escaped 
uninjured. Blindly confiding in the prophecy of victory, he con- 
tinued to urge on his devoted troops. The dervise, too, ran like 
a maniac through the ranks, waving his white banner, and incit- 
ing the Moors by howlings rather than by shouts. " Fear not ! 
the victory is ours ! for so it is written !" cried he. In the midst 
of his frenzy, a stone from a catapult struck him in the head, and 
dashed out his bewildered brains.* 

When the Moors beheld their prophet slain, and his banner 
in the dust, they were seized with despair, and fled in confusion 
to the city. Hamet el Zegri made some effort to rally them, but 
was himself confounded by the fall of the dervise. He covered 
the flight of his broken forces, turning repeatedly upon their pur- 
suers, and slowly making his retreat into the city. 

The inhabitants of Malaga witnessed from their walls, with 
trembling anxiety, the whole of this disastrous conflict. At the 
first onset, when they beheld the guards of the camp put to flight, 
they exclaimed, " Allah has given us the victory I" and they sent 
up shouts of triumph. Their exultation, however, was soon turn- 
ed into doubt, when they beheld their troops repulsed in repeated 
attacks. They could see, from time to time, some distinguished 
warrior laid low, and others brought back bleeding to the city. 

* Garibay, lib. 18, c. 33. 



DESPAIR OF THE MOORS. 353 



When at length the sacred banner fell, and the routed troops 
came flying to the gates, pursued and cut down by the foe, hor- 
ror and despair seized upon the populace. 

As Hamet entered the gates, he heard nothing but loud la- 
mentations : mothers, whose sons had been slain, shrieked curses 
after him as he passed : some, in the anguish of their hearts, 
threw down their famishing babes before him, exclaiming, " Tram- 
ple on them with thy horse's feet ; for we have no food to give 
them, and we cannot endure their cries." All heaped execrations 
on his head, as the cause of the woes of Malaga. 

The warlike part of the citizens also, and many warriors, who, 
with their wives and children, had taken refuge in Malaga from 
the mountain fortresses, now joined in the popular clamor, for 
their hearts were overcome by the sufferings of their families. 

Hamet el Zegri found it impossible to withstand this torrent 
of lamentations, curses, and reproaches. His military ascendency 
was at an end ; for most of his officers, and the prime warriors of 
his African band, had fallen in this disastrous sally. Turning 
his back, therefore, upon the city, and abandoning it to its own 
councils, he retired with the remnant of his Gomeres to his 
stronghold in the Gibralfaro. 



354 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXIY. 

How the city of Malaga capitulated. 

•The people of Malaga being no longer overawed by Hamet el 
Zegri and his G-omeres, turned to Ali Dordux, the magnanimous 
merchant, and put the fate of the city into his hands. He had al- 
ready gained the alcaydes of the castle of the Genoese, and of the 
citadel, into his party, and in the late confusion had gained the 
sway over those important fortresses. He now associated himself 
with the alfaqui Abraham Alhariz and four of the principal inha- 
bitants, and forming a provisional junta, they sent heralds to the 
Christian sovereigns, offering to surrender the city on certain 
terms, protecting the persons and property of the inhabitants, 
permitting them to reside as Mudexares or tributary vassals, 
either in Malaga or elsewhere. 

When the herald arrived at the camp, and made known their 
mission to king Ferdinand, his anger was kindled. " Return to 
your fellow-citizens," said he, " and tell them that the day of 
grace is gone by. They have persisted in a fruitless defence, 
until they are driven by necessity to capitulate ; they must sur- 
render unconditionally, and abide the fate of the vanquished. 
Those who merit death shall suffer death : those who merit cap- 
tivity shall be made captives." 

This stern reply spread consternation among the people of 






. 



FERDINAND REFUSES CONCESSIONS. 355 



Malaga ; but Ali Dordux comforted them, and undertook to go 
in person, and pray for favorable terms. When the people be- 
held this great and wealthy merchant, who was so eminent in 
their city, departing with his associates on this mission, they 
plucked up heart ; for they said, " Surely the Christian king will 
not turn a deaf ear to such a man as Ali Dordux I" 

Ferdinand, however, would not even admit the ambassadors 
to his presence. " Send them to the devil !" said he in a great 
passion, to the commander of Leon ; " I'll not see them. Let 
them get back to their city. They shall all surrender to my 
mercy, as vanquished enemies."* 

To give emphasis to this reply, he ordered a general discharge 
from all the artillery and batteries ; and there was a great shout 
throughout the camp, and all the lombards and catapults, and 
other engines of war, thundered furiously upon the city, doing 
great damage. 

Ali Dordux and his companions returned to the city with 
downcast countenances, and could scarce make the reply of the 
Christian sovereign be heard, for the roaring of the artillery, the 
tumbling of the walls, and the cries of women and children. The 
citizens were greatly astonished and dismayed, when they found 
the little respect paid to their most eminent man ; but the war- 
riors who were in the city exclaimed, " What has this merchant to 
do with questions between men of battle ? Let us not address the 
enemy as abject suppliants who have no power to injure, but as 
valiant men, who have weapons in their hands." 

So they dispatched another message to the Christian sove- 
reigns, offering to yield up the city and all their effects, on condi- 
tion of being secured in their personal liberty. Should this be 
denied, they declared they would hang from the battlements 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 84. 



356 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



fifteen hundred Christian captives, male and female ; that they 
would put all their old men, their women and children into the 
citadel, set fire to the city, and sally forth sword in hand, to fight 
until the last gasp. " In this way," said they, " the Spanish 
sovereigns shall gain a bloody victory, and the fall of Malaga be 
renowned while the world endures." 

To this fierce and swelling message, Ferdinand replied, that 
if a single Christian captive were injured, not a Moor in Malaga 
but should be put to the edge of the sword. 

A great conflict of counsels now arose in Malaga. The war- 
riors were for following up their menace by some desperate act of 
vengeance or of self-devotion. Those who had families looked 
with anguish upon their wives and daughters, and thought it 
better to die than live to see them captives. By degrees, how- 
ever, the transports of passion and despair subsided, the love of 
life resumed its sway, and they turned once more to Ali Dordux, 
as the man most prudent in council and able in negotiation. By 
his advice, fourteen of the principal inhabitants were chosen from 
the fourteen districts of the city, and sent to the camp, bearing a 
long letter, couched in terms of the most humble supplication. 

Various debates now took place in the Christian camp. Many 
of the cavaliers were exasperated against Malaga for its long re- 
sistance, which had caused the death of many of their relatives 
and favorite companions. It had long been a stronghold also for 
Moorish depredators, and the mart where most of the warriors 
captured in the Axarquia had been exposed in triumph and sold 
to slavery. They represented, moreover, that there were many 
Moorish cities yet to be besieged ; and that an example ought to 
be made of Malaga, to prevent all obstinate resistance thereafter. 
They advised, therefore, that all the inhabitants should be put to 
the sword !* 



* Pulgar. 






ISABELLA'S COMPASSION.— MALAGA SURRENDERS. 357 



The humane heart of Isabella revolted at such sanguinary 
counsels : she insisted that their triumph should not be disgraced 
by cruelty. Ferdinand, however, was inflexible in refusing to grant 
any preliminary terms, insisting on an unconditional surrender. 

The people of Malaga now abandoned themselves to par- 
oxysms of despair ; on one side they saw famine and death, on 
the other slavery and chains. The mere men of the sword, who 
had no families to protect, were loud for signalizing their fall by 
some illustrious action. " Let us sacrifice our Christian captives, 
and then destroy ourselves," cried some. " Let us put all the 
women and children to death, set fire to the city, fall on the 
Christian camp, and die sword in hand," cried others. 

AH Dordux gradually made his voice be heard, amidst the 
general clamor. He addressed himself to the principal inhabit- 
ants, and to those who had children. " Let those who live by the 
sword, die by the sword," cried he ; " but let us not follow their 
desperate counsels. Who knows what sparks of pity may be 
awakened in the bosoms of the Christian sovereigns, when they 
behold our unoffending wives and daughters, and our helpless 
little ones ! The Christian queen, they say, is full of mercy." 

At these words, the hearts of the unhappy people of Malaga 
yearned over their families, and they empowered Ali Dordux to 
deliver up their city to the mercy of the Castilian sovereigns. 

The merchant now went to and fro, and had several communi- 
cations with Ferdinand and Isabella, and interested several prin- 
cipal cavaliers in his cause ; and he sent rich presents to the king 
and queen, of oriental merchandise, and silks and stuffs of gold, 
and jewels and precious stones, and spices and perfumes, and 
many other sumptuous things, which he had accumulated in his 
great tradings with the east ; and he gradually found favor in the 
eyes of the sovereigns.* Finding that there was nothing to be 

* MS. Chron. of Valera. 



358 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



obtained for the city, he now, like a prudent man and able mer- 
chant, began to negotiate for himself and his immediate friends. 
He represented that from the first they had been desirous of 
yielding up the city, but had been prevented by warlike and high- 
handed men, who had threatened their lives ; he entreated, there- 
fore, that mercy might be extended to them, and that they might 
not be confounded with the guilty. 

The sovereigns had accepted the presents of Ali Dordux — 
how could they then turn a deaf ear to his petition ? So they 
granted a pardon to him, and to forty families which he named ; 
and it was agreed that they should be protected in their liberties 
and property, and permitted to reside in Malaga as Mudexares or 
Moslem vassals, and to follow their customary pursuits.* All 
this being arranged, Ali Dordux delivered up twenty of the prin- 
cipal inhabitants, to remain as hostages, until the whole city 
should be placed in the possession of the Christians. 

Don Gutierrez de Cardenas, senior commander of Leon, now 
entered the city, armed cap-a-pie, on horseback, and took posses- 
sion in the name of the Castilian sovereigns. He was followed 
by his retainers, and by the captains and cavaliers of the army ; 
and in a little while, the standards of the cross and of the blessed 
Santiago, and of the Catholic sovereigns, were elevated on the 
principal tower of the Alcazaba. When these standards were 
beheld from the camp, the queen and the princess and the ladies 
of the court, and all the royal retinue, knelt down and gave 
thanks and praises to the holy virgin and to Santiago, for this 
great triumph of the faith ; and the bishops and other clergy who 
were present, and the choristers of the royal chapel, chanted 
u Te Deum Laudamus? and " Gloria in Exeelsis" 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 84. 



THE FAMISHED INHABITANTS. 359 



CHAPTER LXV. 

Fulfilment of the prophecy of the dervise. — Fate of Hamet el Zegri. 

No sooner was the city delivered up, than the wretched inhabit- 
ants implored permission to purchase bread for themselves and 
their children, from the heaps of grain which they had so often 
gazed at wistfully from their walls. Their prayer was granted, 
and they issued forth with the famished eagerness of starving 
men. It was piteous to behold the struggles of those unhappy 
people, as they contended who first should have their necessities 
relieved. 

" Thus," says the pious Fray Antonio Agapida, " thus are 
the predictions of false prophets sometimes permitted to be veri- 
fied, but always to the confusion of those who trust in them : for 
the words of the Moorish nigromancer came to pass, that the 
people of Malaga should eat of those heaps of bread ; but they 
ate in humiliation and defeat, and with sorrow and bitterness of 
heart." 

Dark and fierce were the feelings of Hamet el Zegri, as he 
looked down from the castle of Gribralfaro, and beheld the Chris- 
tian legions pouring into the city, and the standard of the cross 
supplanting the crescent on the citadel. " The people of Malaga," 
said he, " have trusted to a man of trade, and he has trafficked 
them away ; but let us not suffer ourselves to be bound hand and 



360 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



foot, and delivered up as part of his bargain. We have yet 
strong walls around us, and trusty weapons in our hands. Let 
us fight until buried beneath the last tumbling tower of Gribral- 
faro, or, rushing down from among its ruins, carry havoc among 
the unbelievers, as they throng the streets of Malaga !" 

The fierceness of the Gomeres, however, was broken. They 
could have died in the breach, had their castle been assailed ; 
but the slow advances of famine subdued their strength without 
rousing their passions, and sapped the force both of soul and 
body. They were almost unanimous for a surrender. 

It was a hard struggle for the proud spirit of Hamet, to bow 
itself to ask for terms. Still he trusted that the valor of his 
defence would gain him respect in the eyes of a chivalrous foe. 
u Ali," said he, " has negotiated like a merchant ; I will capitulate 
as a soldier." He sent a herald, therefore, to Ferdinand, offering 
to yield up his castle, but demanding a separate treaty.* The 
Castilian sovereign made a laconic and stern reply : " He shall 
receive no terms but such as have been granted to the community 
of Malaga." 

For two days Hamet el Zegri remained brooding in his castle, 
after the city was in possession of the Christians ; at length, the 
clamors of his followers compelled him to surrender. When the 
remnant of this fierce African garrison descended from their 
cragged fortress, they were so worn by watchfulness, famine, and 
battle, yet carried such a lurking fury in their eyes, that they 
looked more like fiends than men. They were all condemned to 
slavery, excepting Ibrahim Zenete. The instance of clemeocy 
which he had shown in refraining to harm the Spanish striplings, 
on the last sally from Malaga, won him favorable terms. It was 
cited ** magnanimous act .by the Spanish cavaliers, and all ad- 






* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 84. 



FATE OF HAMET EL ZEGRI. 361 



mitted, that though a Moor in blood, he possessed the Christian 
heart of a Castilian hidalgo.* 

As to Hamet el Zegri, on being asked what moved him to 
such hardened obstinacy, he replied, " When I undertook my 
command, I pledged myself to fight in defence of my faith, my 
city, and my sovereign, until slain or made prisoner ; and depend 
upon it, had I had men to stand by me, I should have died 
fighting, instead of thus tamely surrendering myself without a 
weapon in my hand." 

" Such," says the pious Fray Antonio Agapida, " was the 
diabolical hatred and stiff-necked opposition of this infidel to our 
holy cause. But he was justly served by our most Catholic and 
high-minded sovereign, for his pertinacious defence of the city ; 
for Ferdinand ordered that he should be loaded with chains and 
thrown into a dungeon." He was subsequently retained in rigo- 
rous confinement at Carmona.f 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 84. 

f Pulgar, part 3, cap. 93. Pietro Martyr, lib. 1, cap. 69. Alcantara, Hist. 
Granada, vol. 4, c. 18. 



362 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXVI. 

How the Castilian sovereigns took possession of the city of Malaga, and 
how King Ferdinand signalized himself by his skill in bargaining with 
the inhabitants for their ransom. 

One of the first cares of the conquerors, on entering Malaga, was 
to search for Christian captives. Nearly sixteen hundred men 
and women were found, and among them were persons of distinc- 
tion. Some of them had been ten, fifteen, and twenty years in 
captivity. Many had been servants to the Moors, or laborers on 
public works, and some had passed their time in chains and dun- 
geons. Preparations were made to celebrate their deliverance as 
a Christian triumph. A tent was erected not far from the city, 
and furnished with an altar and all the solemn decorations of a 
chapel. Here the king and queen waited to receive the Chris- 
tian captives. They were assembled in the city, and marshalled 
forth in piteous procession. Many of them had still the chains 
and shackles on their legs ; they were wasted with famine, their 
hair and beards overgrown and matted, and their faces pale and 
haggard from long confinement. When they found themselves 
restored to liberty, and surrounded by their countrymen, some 
stared wildly about as if in a dream, others gave way to frantic 
transports, but most of them wept for joy. All present were 



RELEASE OF CHRISTIAN CAPTIVES. 363 



moved to tears, by so touching a spectacle. When the procession 
arrived at what is called the Gate of Granada, it was met by a 
great concourse from the camp, with crosses and pennons, who 
turned and followed the captives, singing hymns of praise and 
thanksgiving. When they came in presence of the king and 
queen, they threw themselves on their knees and would have 
kissed their feet, as their saviours and deliverers ; but the sove- 
reigns prevented such humiliation, and graciously extended to 
them their hands. They then prostrated themselves before the 
altar, and all present joined them in giving thanks to God for 
their liberation from this cruel bondage. By orders of the king 
and queen, their chains were then taken off, and they were clad 
in decent raiment, and food was set before them. After they had 
ate and drunk, and were refreshed and invigorated, they were 
provided with money and all things necessary for their journey, 
and sent joyfully to their homes. 

While the old chroniclers dwell with becoming enthusiasm on 
this pure and affecting triumph of humanity, they go on, in a 
strain of equal eulogy, to describe a spectacle of a far different 
nature. It so happened, that there were found in the city twelve 
of those renegado Christians who had deserted to the Moors, and 
conveyed false intelligence, during the siege : a barbarous species 
of punishment was inflicted upon them, borrowed, it is said, from 
the Moors, and peculiar to these wars. They were tied to stakes 
in a public place, and horsemen exercised their skill in trans- 
piercing them with pointed reeds, hurled at them while careering 
at full speed, until the miserable victims expired beneath their 
wounds. Several apostate Moors, also, who, having embraced 
Christianity, had afterwards relapsed into their early faith, and 
had taken refuge in Malaga from the vengeance of the Inquisi- 
tion, were publicly burnt. " These," says an old Jesuit historian, 
exultingly, " these were the tilts of reeds and the illuminations 



364 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



most pleasing for this victorious festival, and for the Catholic 
piety of our sovereigns !"* 

When the city was cleansed from the impurities and offensive 
odors which had collected during the siege, the bishops and other 
clergy who accompanied the court, and the choir of the royal 
chapel, walked in procession to the principal mosque, which was 
consecrated, and entitled Santa Maria de la Incarnacion. This 
done, the king and queen entered the city, accompanied by the 
grand cardinal of Spain, and the principal nobles and cavaliers of 
the army, and heard a solemn mass. The church was then ele- 
vated into a cathedral, and Malaga was made a bishopric, and 
many of the neighboring towns were comprehended in its diocese. 
The queen took up her residence in the Alcazaba, in the apart- 
ments of her valiant treasurer, Ruy Lopez, whence she had a 
view of the whole city ; but the king established his quarters in 
the warrior castle of Gibralfaro. 

And now came to be considered the disposition of the Moorish 
prisoners. All those who were strangers in the city, and had 
either taken refuge there, or had entered to defend it, were at 
once considered slaves. They were divided into three lots : one 
was set apart for the service of God, in redeeming Christian 
captives from bondage, either in the kingdom of Granada or in 
Africa ; the second lot was divided among those who had aided 
either in field or cabinet, in the present siege, according to their 
rank ; the third was appropriated to defray, by their sale, the 
great expenses incurred in the reduction of the place. A hundred 
of the Gomeres were sent as presents to Pope Innocent VIII., 



* " Los renegados fuernon acanavareados : y los conversos quemados : 
y estos fueron las canas, y luminarias mas alegres, por la fiesta de la vitoria. 
para la piedad Catholica de nuestros Reyes."— Abarca. Anales de Aragon, 
torn. 2, Rey xxx., c. 3. 



REWARD OF THE MERCHANT. 365 



and were led in triumph through the streets of Rome, and after- 
wards converted to Christianity. Fifty Moorish maidens were 
sent to the queen Joanna of Naples, sister to king Ferdinand, 
and thirty to the queen of Portugal. Isabella made presents of 
others to the ladies of her household, and of the noble families 
of Spain. 

Among the inhabitants of Malaga were four hundred and 
fifty Moorish Jews, for the most part women, speaking the Arabic 
language, and dressed in the Moresco fashion. These were ran- 
somed by a wealthy Jew of Castile, farmer-general of the royal 
revenues derived from the Jews of Spain. He agreed to make 
up, within a certain time, the sum of twenty thousand doblas, or 
pistoles of gold ; all the money and jewels of the captives being 
taken in part payment. They were sent to Castile, in two armed 
galleys. As to Ali Dordux, such favors and honors were heaped 
upon him by the Spanish sovereigns for his considerate mediation 
in the surrender, that the disinterestedness of his conduct has 
often been called in question. He was appointed chief justice 
and alcayde of the Mudaxares or Moorish subjects, and was pre- 
sented with twenty houses, one public bakery, and several or- 
chards, vineyards, and tracts of open country. He retired to 
Antiquera, where he died several years afterwards, leaving his 
estate and name to his son Mohamed Dordux. The latter em- 
braced the Christian faith, as did his wife, the daughter of a 
Moorish noble. On being baptized he received the name of Don 
Fernando de Malaga, his wife that of Isabella, after the queen. 
They were incorporated with the nobility of Castile, and their 
descendants still bear the name of Malaga.* 

As to the great mass of Moorish inhabitants, they implored 
that they might not be scattered and sold into captivity, but 

* Conversaciones Malaguenas, 26, as cited by Alcantara in his History 
of Granada, vol. 4, c. 18. 



366 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



might be permitted to ransom themselves by an amount paid 
within a certain time. Upon this, king Ferdinand took the 
advice of certain of his ablest counsellors : they said to him, " If 
you hold out a prospect of hopeless captivity, the infidels will 
throw all their gold and jewels into wells and pits, and you will 
lose the greater part of the spoil ; but if you fix a general rate 
of ransom, and receive their money and jewels in part payment, 
nothing will be destroyed. The king relished greatly this advice ; 
and it was arranged that all the inhabitants should be ransomed 
at the general rate of thirty doblas or pistoles in gold for each 
individual, male or female, large or small ; that all their gold, 
jewels, and other valuables, should be received immediately in 
part payment of the general amount, and that the residue should 
be paid within eight months ; that if any of the number, actually 
living, should die in the interim, their ransom should nevertheless 
be paid. If, however, the whole of the amount were not paid at 
the expiration of the eight months, they should all be considered 
and treated as slaves. 

The unfortunate Moors were eager to catch at the least hope 
of future liberty, and consented to these hard conditions. The 
most rigorous precautions were taken to exact them to the utter- 
most. The inhabitants were numbered by houses and families, 
and their names taken down; their most precious effects were 
made up into parcels, and sealed and inscribed with their names ; 
and they were ordered to repair with them to certain large cor- 
rales or inclosures adjoining the Alcazaba, which were surrounded 
by high walls and overlooked by watchtowers, to which places the 
cavalgadas of Christian captives had usually been driven, to be 
confined until the time of sale, like cattle in a market. The 
Moors were obliged to leave their houses one by one ; all their 
money, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets of gold, pearl, coral, and 
precious stones, were taken from them at the threshold, and their 



MOORISH LAMENTATIONS. 367 



persons so rigorously searched that they carried off nothing con- 
cealed. 

Then might be seen old men and helpless women, and tender 
maidens, some of high birth, and gentle condition, passing 
through the streets, heavily burthened, towards the Alcazaba. 
As they left their homes, they smote their breasts, and wrung 
their hands, and raised their weeping eyes to Heaven in anguish ; 
and this is recorded as their plaint : " Oh, Malaga ! city so re- 
nowned and beautiful ! where now is the strength of thy castle, 
where the grandeur of thy towers? Of what avail have been 
thy mighty walls, for the protection of thy children ! Behold 
them driven from thy pleasant abodes, doomed to drag out a life 
of bondage in a foreign land, and to die far from the home of 
their infancy ! What will become of thy old men and matrons, 
when their gray hairs shall be no longer reverenced ? What will 
become of thy maidens, so delicately reared and tenderly cher- 
ished, when reduced to hard and menial servitude ? Behold, thy 
once happy families scattered asunder, never again to be united ; 
sons separated from their fathers, husbands from their wives, and 
tender children from their mothers : they will bewail each other 
in foreign lands, but their lamentations will be the scoff of the 
stranger. Oh, Malaga ! city of our birth ! who can behold thy 
desolation, and not shed tears of bitterness ?"* 

When Malaga was completely secured, a detachment was sent 
against two fortresses near the sea, called Mixas and Osuna, 
which had frequently harassed the Christian camp. The inhab- 
itants were threatened with the sword, unless they instantly sur- 
rendered. They claimed the same terms that had been granted 
to Malaga, imagining them to be freedom of person and security 
of property. Their claim was granted ; they were transported to 
Malaga with all their riches, and, on arriving there, were over- 

* Pulgar, Reyes Catolicos, c. 93. 



368 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



whelmed with consternation at finding themselves captives. 
" Ferdinand," observes Fray Antonio Agapida, " was a man of 
his word ; they were shut up in the inclosure at the Alcazaba 
with the people of Malaga, and shared their fate." 

The unhappy captives remained thus crowded in the court- 
yards of the Alcazaba, like sheep in a fold, until they could be 
sent by sea and land to Seville. They were then distributed 
about in city and country, each Christian family having one or 
more to feed and maintain as servants, until the term fixed for 
the payment of the residue of the ransom should expire. The 
captives had obtained permission that several of their number 
should go about among the Moorish towns of the kingdom of 
Granada, collecting contributions to aid in the purchase of their 
liberties ; but these towns were too much impoverished by the 
war, and engrossed by their own distresses, to lend a listening 
ear : so the time expired without the residue of the ransom being 
paid, and all the captives of Malaga, to the number, as some say, 
of eleven, and others of fifteen thousand, became slaves ! " Ne- 
ver," exclaims the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, in one of his 
usual bursts of zeal and loyalty, " never has there been recorded 
a more adroit and sagacious arrangement than this made by the 
Catholic monarch, by which he not only secured all the property 
and half of the ransom of these infidels, but finally got possession 
of their persons into the bargain. This truly may be considered 
one of the greatest triumphs of the pious and politic Ferdinand, 
and as raising him above the generality of conquerors, who have 
merely the valor to gain victories, but lack the prudence and 
management necessary to turn them to account."* 

* The detestable policy of Ferdinand in regard to the Moorish captives 
of Malaga, is recorded at length by the curate of los Palacios, (c. 87,) a 
cotemporary, a zealous admirer of the king, and one of the most honest of 
chroniclers ; who really thought he was recording a notable instance of 
sagacious piety. 



CHANGE OF TACTICS. 369 



CHAPTER LXVIL 

How King Ferdinand prepared to carry the war into a different part of the 
territories of the Moors. 

The western part of the kingdom of Granada had now been con- 
quered by the Christian arms. The seaport of Malaga was cap- 
tured : the fierce and warlike inhabitants of the Serrania de 
Ronda, and the other mountain holds of the frontier, were all dis- 
armed, and reduced to peaceful and laborious vassalage ; their 
haughty fortresses, which had so long overawed the valleys of 
Andalusia, now displayed the standard of Castile and Aragon ; 
the watchtowers, which crowned every height, whence the infi- 
dels had kept a vulture eye over the Christian territories, were 
now either dismantled, or garrisoned with Catholic troops. 
u What signalized and sanctified this great triumph," adds the 
worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, " were the emblems of ecclesias- 
tical domination which every where appeared. In every direc- 
tion rose stately convents and monasteries, those fortresses of the 
faith, garrisoned by its spiritual soldiery of monks and friars. 
The sacred melody of Christian bells was again heard among the 
mountains, calling to early matins, or sounding the Angeles at 
the solemn hour of evening. "* 

* The worthy curate of los Palacios intimates in his chronicle, that 
this melody, so grateful to the ears of pious Christians, was a source of 
perpetual torment to the ears of infidels. 
16* 



370 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



While this part of the kingdom was thus reduced by the 
Christian sword, the central part, round the city of Granada, 
forming the heart of the Moorish territory, was held in vassalage 
of the Castilian monarch, by Boabdil surnamed El Chico. That 
unfortunate prince lost no occasion to propitiate the conquerors 
of his country by acts of homage, and by professions that must 
have been foreign to his heart. No sooner had he heard of the 
capture of Malaga, than he sent congratulations to the Catholic 
sovereigns, accompanied with presents of horses richly capari- 
soned for the king, and precious cloth of gold and oriental per- 
fumes for the queen. His congratulations and his presents were 
received with the utmost graciousness ; and the short-sighted 
prince, lulled by the temporary and politic forbearance of Ferdi- 
nand, flattered himself that he was securing the lasting friendship 
of that monarch. 

The policy of Boabdil had its transient and superficial advan- 
tages. The portion of Moorish territory under his immediate 
sway had a respite from the calamities of war : the husbandmen 
cultivated their luxuriant fields in security, and the vega of Gra- 
nada once more blossomed like the rose. The merchants again 
carried on a gainful traffic : the gates of the city were thronged 
with beasts of burden, bringing the rich products of every clime. 
Yet. while the people of Granada rejoiced in their teeming fields 
and crowded marts, they secretly despised the policy which had 
procured them these advantages, and held Boabdil for little bet- 
ter than an apostate and an unbeliever. Muley Abdallah el Za- 
gal was now the hope of the unconquered part of the kingdom ; 
and every Moor, whose spirit was not quite subdued with his for- 
tunes, lauded the valor of the old monarch, and his fidelity to the 
faith, and wished success to his standard. 

El Zagal, though he no longer sat enthroned in the Alham- 
bra, yet reigned over more considerable domains than his nephew. 



EL ZAGAL'S TERRITORIES. 371 



His territories extended from the frontier of Jaen along the bor- 
ders of Murcia to the Mediterranean, and reached into the centre 
of the kingdom. On the northeast, he held the cities of Baza 
and Guadix, situated in the midst of fertile regions. He had the 
important seaport of Almeria, also, which at one time rivalled 
Granada itself in wealth and population. Beside these, his ter- 
ritories included a great part of the Alpuxarra mountains, which 
extend across the kingdom and shoot out branches towards the 
seacoast. This mountainous region was a stronghold of wealth 
and power. Its stern and rocky heights, rising to the clouds, 
, seemed to set invasion at defiance ; yet within their rugged em- 
braces were sheltered delightful valleys, of the happiest tempera- 
ture and richest fertility. The cool springs and limpid rills 
which gushed out in all parts of the mountains, and the abundant 
streams, which, for a great part of the year, were supplied by the 
Sierra Nevada, spread a perpetual verdure over the skirts and 
slopes of the hills, and, collecting in silver rivers in the valleys, 
wound along among plantations of mulberry trees, and groves of 
oranges and citrons, of almonds, figs, and pomegranates. Here 
was produced the finest silk of Spain, which gave employment to 
thousands of manufacturers. The sunburnt sides of the hills, 
also, were covered with vineyards ; the abundant herbage of the 
mountain ravines, and the rich pasturage of the valleys, fed vast 
flocks and herds ; and even the arid and rocky bosoms of the 
heights teemed with wealth, from the mines of various metals 
with which they were impregnated. In a word, the Alpuxarra 
mountains had ever been the great source of revenue to the mo- 
narchs of Granada. Their inhabitants, also, were hardy and war- 
like, and a sudden summons from the Moorish king could at any 
time call forth fifty thousand fighting men from their rocky fast- 
nesses. 

Such was the rich but rugged fragment of an empire which 



372 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



remained under the sway of the old warrior monarch El Zagal. 
The mountain barriers by which it was locked up, had protected 
it from most of the ravages of the present war. El Zagal pre- 
pared himself, by strengthening every fortress, to battle fiercely 
for its maintenance. 

The Catholic sovereigns saw that fresh troubles and toils 
awaited them. The war had to be carried into a new quarter, 
demanding immense expenditures ; and new ways and means 
must be devised to replenish their exhausted coffers. " As this 
was a holy war, however," says Fray Antonio Agapida, " and pe- 
culiarly redounded to the prosperity of the church, the clergy were * 
full of zeal, and contributed vast sums of money and large bodies 
of troops. A pious fund was also produced, from the first fruits 
of that glorious institution, the Inquisition." 

It so happened, that about this time there were many families 
of wealth and dignity in the kingdoms of Aragon and Valentia, 
and the principality of Catalonia, whose forefathers had been 
Jews, but had been converted to Christianity. Notwithstanding 
the outward piety of these families, it was surmised, and soon came 
to be strongly suspected, that many of them had a secret hanker- 
ing after Judaism ; and it was even whispered, that some of them 
practised Jewish rites in private. 

The Catholic monarch (continues Agapida) had a righteous 
abhorrence of all kinds of heresy, and a fervent zeal for the faith ; 
he ordered, therefore, a strict investigation of the conduct of these 
pseudo Christians. Inquisitors were sent into these provinces 
for the purpose, who proceeded with their accustomed zeal. The 
consequence was, that many families were convicted of apostasy 
from the Christian faith, and of the private practice of Judaism. 
Some, who had grace and policy sufficient to reform in time, were 
again received into the Christian fold, after being severely 
mulcted and condemned to heavy penance ; others were burnt at 



USES OF HEBREW TREASURES. 373 



auto defes, for the edification of the public, and their property 
was confiscated for the good of the state. 

As these Hebrews were of great wealth, and had an hereditary 
passion for jewelry, there was found abundant store in their pos- 
session of gold and silver, of rings and necklaces, and strings of 
pearl and coral, and precious stones ; — treasures easy of transpor- 
tation, and wonderfully adapted for the emergencies of war. " In 
this way," concludes the pious Agapida, " these backsliders, by 
the all-seeing contrivances of Providence, were made to serve the 
righteous cause which they had so treacherously deserted ; and 
their apostate wealth was sanctified by being devoted to the ser- 
vice of Heaven and the crown, in this holy crusade against the 
infidels." 

It must be added, however, that these pious financial expe- 
dients received some check from the interference of queen Isa- 
bella. Her penetrating eyes discovered that many enormities 
had been committed under color of religious zeal, and many in- 
nocent persons accused by false witnesses of apostasy, either 
through malice or a hope of obtaining their wealth : she caused 
strict investigation, therefore, into the proceedings which had 
been held ; many of which were reversed, and suborners punished 
in proportion to their guilt. # 

* Pulgar, part 3, c. 100. 



374 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXVIII. 

How King Ferdinand invaded the eastern side of the kingdom of Granada, 
and how he was received by El Zagal. 

" Muley Abdallah el Zagal," says the veneralble Jesuit 
father, Pedro Abarca, u was the most venomous Mahometan in 
all Morisma :" and the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida most de- 
voutly echoes his opinion. " Certainly," adds the latter, " none 
ever opposed a more heathenish and diabolical obstinacy to the 
holy inroads of the cross and sword." 

El Zagal felt that it was necessary to do something to 
quicken his popularity with the people, and that nothing was 
more effectual than a successful inroad. The Moors loved the 
stirring call to arms, and a wild foray among the mountains ; 
and delighted more in a hasty spoil, wrested with hard fighting 
from the Christians, than in all the steady and certain gains se- 
cured by peaceful traffic. 

There reigned at this time a careless security along the fron- 
tier of Jaen. The alcaydes of the Christian fortresses were con- 
fident of the friendship of Boabdil el Chico, and they fancied his 
uncle too distant and too much engrossed by his own perplexities, 
to think of molesting them. On a sudden, El Zagal issued out 
of Gluadix with a chosen band, passed rapidly through the moun- 
tains which extend behind Granada, and fell like a thunderbolt 



FERDINAND PROCEEDS AGAINST EL ZAGAL. 375 



upon the territories in the neighborhood of Alcala la Real. 
Before the alarm could be spread and the frontier roused, 
he had made a wide career of destruction through the coun- 
try, sacking and burning villages, sweeping off flocks and herds, 
and carrying away captives. The warriors of the frontier as- 
sembled ; but El Zagal was already far on his return through 
the mountains, and he re-entered the gates of Gruadix in tri- 
umph, his army laden with Christian spoil, and conducting 
an immense cavalgada. Such was one of El Zagal's prepara- 
tives for the expected invasion of the Christian king, exciting the 
warlike spirit of his people, and gaining for himself a transient 
popularity. 

King Ferdinand assembled his army at Murcia, in the spring 
of 1488. He left that city on the fifth of June, with a flying 
camp of four thousand horse and fourteen thousand foot. The 
marques of Cadiz led the van, followed by the adelantado of 
Murcia. The army entered the Moorish frontier by the sea- 
coast, spreading terror through the land ; wherever it appeared, 
the towns surrendered without a blow, so great was the dread of 
experiencing the woes which had desolated the opposite frontier. 
In this way, Vera, Velez el Rubio, Velez el Blanco, and many 
towns of inferior note, to the number of sixty, yielded at the first 
summons. 

It was not until it approached Almeria, that the army met 
with resistance. This important city was commanded by the 
prince Zelim, a relation of El Zagal. He led forth his Moors 
bravely to the encounter, and skirmished fiercely with the advance 
guard in the gardens near the city. King Ferdinand came up 
with the main body of the army, and called off his troops from 
the skirmish. He saw that to attack the place with his present 
force was fruitless. Having reconnoitred the city and its en- 



376 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



virons, therefore, against a future campaign, he retired with his 
army and marched towards Baza. 

The old warrior El Zagal was himself drawn up in the city 
of Baza, with a powerful garrison. He felt confidence in the 
strength of the place, and rejoiced when he heard that the Chris- 
tian king was approaching. In the valley in front of Baza, there 
extended a great tract of gardens, like a continued grove, inter- 
sected by canals and water-courses. In this he stationed an am- 
buscade of arquebussiers and cross-bowmen. The vanguard of 
the Christian army came marching gayly up the valley, with 
great sound of drum and trumpet, and led on by the marques of 
Cadiz and the adelantado of Murcia. As they drew near, El 
Zagal sallied forth with horse and foot, and attacked them for a 
time with great spirit. Gradually falling back, as if pressed by 
their superior valor, he drew the exulting Christians among the 
gardens. Suddenly the Moors in ambuscade burst from their 
concealment, and opened such a fire in flank and rear, that many 
of the Christians were slain, and the rest thrown into confusion. 
King Ferdinand arrived in time to see the disastrous situation of 
his troops, and gave signal for the vanguard to retire. 

El Zagal did not permit the foe to draw off unmolested. 
Ordering out fresh squadrons, he fell upon the rear of the re- 
treating troops with triumphant shouts, driving them before him 
with dreadful havoc. The old war-cry of " El Zagal ! El Zagal !" 
was again put up by the Moors, and echoed with transport from 
the walls of the city. The Christians were in imminent peril of 
a complete rout, when fortunately the adelantado of Murcia 
threw himself with a large body of horse and foot between the 
pursuers and the pursued, covering the retreat of the latter and 
giving them time to rally. The Moors were now attacked so 
vigorously in turn, that they gave over the contest, and drew back 
slowly into the city. Many valiant cavaliers were slain in this 



HE IS REPULSED. 377 



skirmish ; among the number was Don Philip of Aragon, master 
of the chivalry of St. George of Montesor ; he was illegitimate 
son of the king's illegitimate brother Don Carlos, and his death 
was greatly bewailed by Ferdinand. He had formerly been arch- 
bishop of Palermo, but had doffed the cassock for the cuirass, 
and, according to Fray Antonio Agapida, had gained a glorious 
crown of martyrdom by falling in this holy war. 

The warm reception of his advance guard, brought king Fer- 
dinand to a pause : he encamped on the banks of the neighboring 
river Guadalquiton, and began to consider whether he had acted 
wisely in undertaking this campaign with his present force. His 
late successes had probably rendered him over-confident : El Za- 
gal had again schooled him into his characteristic caution. He 
saw that the old warrior was too formidably ensconced in Baza, 
to be dislodged by any thing except a powerful army and batter- 
ing artillery ; and he feared, that should he persist in his invasion, 
some disaster might befall his army, either from the enterprise of 
the foe, or from a pestilence which prevailed in various parts of 
the country. He retired, therefore, from before Baza, as he had 
on a former occasion from before Loxa, all the wiser for a whole- 
some lesson in warfare, but by no means grateful to those who 
had given it, and with a solemn determination to have his revenge 
upon his teachers. 

He now took measures for the security of the places gained in 
this campaign ; placing in them strong garrisons, well-armed and 
supplied, charging their alcaydes to be vigilant on their posts and 
to give no rest to the enemy. The whole of the frontier was 
placed under the command of Luiz Fernandez Puerto Carrero. 
As it was evident, from the warlike character of El Zagal, that 
there would be abundance of active service and hard fighting, 
many hidalgos and young cavaliers, eager for distinction, remain- 
ed with Puerto Carrero. 



378 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



All these dispositions being made, king Ferdinand closed the 
dubious campaign of this year, not, as usual, by returning in tri- 
umph at the head of -his army to some important city of his do- 
minions, but by disbanding the troops, and repairing to pray at 
the cross of Caravaca. 






MOORISH INCURSIONS. 379 



CHAPTER LXIX. 

How the Moors made various enterprises against the Christians. 

" While the pious king Ferdinand," observes Fray Antonio 
Agapida, " was humbling himself before the cross, and devoutly 
praying for the destruction of his enemies, that fierce pagan El 
Zagal, depending merely on arm of flesh and sword of steel, pur- 
sued his diabolical outrages upon the Christians." No sooner 
was the invading army disbanded, than he sallied forth from his 
stronghold, and carried fire and sword into all those parts which 
had submitted to the Spanish yoke. The castle of Nixar, being 
carelessly guarded, was taken by surprise, and its garrison put to 
the sword. The old warrior raged with sanguinary fury about 
the whole frontier, attacking convoys, slaying, wounding, and 
making prisoners, and coming by surprise upon the Christians 
wherever they were off their guard. 

Carlos de Biedma, alcayde of the fortress of Culla, confiding 
in the strength of its walls and towers, and in its difficult situa- 
tion, being built on the summit of a lofty hill, and surrounded by 
precipices, ventured to absent himself from his post. He was en- 
gaged to be married to a fair and noble lady of Baeza, and re- 
paired to that city to celebrate his nuptials, escorted by a brilliant 
array of the best horsemen of his garrison. Apprised of his 
absence, the vigilant El Zagal suddenly appeared before Cullar 
with a powerful force, stormed the town sword in hand, fought 



380 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the Christians from street to street, and drove them, with great 
slaughter, to the citadel. Here a veteran captain, by the name 
of Juan de Avalos, a gray-headed warrior scarred in many a 
battle, assumed the command and made an obstinate defence. 
Neither the multitude of the enemy, nor the vehemence of their 
attacks^ though led on by the terrible El Zagal himself, had power 
to shake the fortitude of this doughty old soldier. 

The Moors undermined the outer walls and one of the towers 
of the fortress, and made their way into the exterior court. The 
alcayde manned the tops of his towers, pouring down melted 
pitch, and showering darts, arrows, stones, and all kinds of mis- 
siles, upon the assailants. The Moors were driven out of the 
court ; but, being reinforced with fresh troops, returned repeat- 
edly to the assault. For five days the combat was kept up : the 
Christians were nearly exhausted, but were sustained by the 
cheerings of their stanch old alcayde, and the fear of death from 
El Zagal, should they surrender. At length the approach of a 
powerful force under Don Luis Puerto Carrero relieved them 
from this fearful peril. El Zagal abandoned the assault, but set 
fire to the town in his rage and disappointment, and retired to his 
stronghold of Guadix. 

The example of El Zagal roused his adherents to action. 
Two bold Moorish alcaydes, Ali Aliatar and Yzan Aliatar, com- 
manding the fortresses of Alhenden and Salobrena, laid waste the 
country of the subjects of Boabdil, and the places which had re- 
cently submitted to the Christians : they swept off the cattle, 
carried off captives, and harassed the whole of the newly con* 
quered frontier. 

The Moors also of Almeria, and Tavernas, and Purchena, 
made inroads into Murcia, and carried fire and sword into its 
most fertile regions. On the opposite frontier, also, among the 
wild valleys and rugged recesses of the Sierra Bermeja, or Red 



TEMPESTS AND FLOODS. 381 



Mountains, many of the Moors who had lately submitted again 
flew to arms. The marques of Cadiz suppressed by timely vigi- 
lance the rebellion of the mountain town of G-ausin, situated on a 
high peak, almost among the clouds ; but others of the Moors for- 
tified themselves in rock-built towers and castles, inhabited solely 
by warriors ; whence they carried on a continual war of forage 
and depredation ; sweeping down into the valleys, and carrying 
off flocks and herds and all kinds of booty to these eagle-nests, to 
which it was perilous and fruitless to pursue them. 

The worthy father Fray Antonio Agapida closes his history 
of this checkered year, in quite a different strain from those tri- 
umphant periods with which he is accustomed to wind up the 
victorious campaigns of the sovereigns. " Great and mighty," 
says this venerable chronicler, " were the floods and tempests 
which prevailed throughout the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, 
about this time. It seemed as though the windows of Heaven 
were again opened, and a second deluge overwhelming the face of 
nature. The clouds burst as it were in cataracts upon the earth ; 
torrents rushed down from the mountains, overflowing the valleys ; 
brooks were swelled into raging rivers ; houses were undermined ; 
mills were swept away by their own streams ; the affrighted 
shepherds saw their flocks drowned in the midst of the pasture, 
and were fain to take refuge for their lives in towers and high 
places. The Guadalquivir for a time became a roaring and tu- 
multuous sea, inundating the immense plain of the Tablada, and 
filling the fair city of Seville with affright. 

" A vast black cloud moved over the land, accompanied by a 
hurricane and a trembling of the earth. Houses were unroofed, 
the -walls and battlements of fortresses shaken, and lofty towers 
rocked to their foundations. Ships, riding at anchor, were either 
stranded or swallowed up ; others, under sail, were tossed to and 
fro upon mountain waves, and cast upon the land, where the 



382 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



whirlwind rent them in pieces and scattered them in fragments in 
the air. Doleful was the ruin and great the terror, where this 
baleful cloud passed by ; and it left a long track of desolation 
over sea and land. Some of the faint-hearted," adds Antonio 
Agapida, " looked upon this torment of the elements as a pro- 
digious event, out of the course of nature. In the weakness of 
their fears, they connected it with those troubles which occurred 
in various places, considering it a portent of some great calamity, 
about to be wrought by the violence of the bloody-handed El 
Zagal and his fierce adherents."* 

* See Cura de los Palacios, cap. 91. Palencia, De Bello Granad., lib. 8. 



PROJECT AGAINST BAZA. 383 



CHAPTER IXX. 

How King Ferdinand prepared to besiege the city of Baza, and how the 
city prepared for defence. 

The stormy winter had passed away, and the spring of 1489 was 
advancing ; yet the heavy rains had broken up the roads, the 
mountain brooks were swollen to raging torrents, and the late 
shallow and peaceful rivers were deep, turbulent, and dangerous. 
The Christian troops had been summoned to assemble in early 
spring on the frontiers of Jaen, but were slow in arriving at the 
appointed place. They were entangled in the miry denies of the 
mountains, or fretted impatiently on the banks of impassable 
floods. It was late in the month of May, before they assembled 
in sufficient force to attempt the proposed invasion ; when, at 
length, a valiant army, of thirteen thousand horse and forty thou- 
sand foot, marched merrily over the border. The queen remained 
at the city of Jaen, with the prince-royal and the princesses her 
children, accompanied and supported by the venerable cardinal 
of Spain, and those reverend prelates who assisted in her councils 
throughout this holy war. 

The plan of king Ferdinand was to lay siege to the city of 
Baza, the key of the remaining possessions of the Moor. That 
important fortress taken, Guadix and Almeria must soon follow, 
and then the power of El Zagal would be at an end. As the 
Catholic king advanced, he had first to secure various castles and 



384 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



strongholds in the vicinity of Baza, which might otherwise harass 
his army. Some of these made obstinate resistance, especially the 
town of Zujar. The Christians assailed the walls with various 
machines, to sap them and batter them down. The brave alcayde, 
Hubec Abdilbar, opposed force to force and engine to engine. 
He manned his towers with his bravest warriors, who rained 
down an iron shower upon the enemy ; and he linked caldrons 
together by strong chains, and cast fire from them, consuming the 
wooden engines of their assailants, and those who managed them. 

The siege was protracted for several days : the bravery of the 
alcayde could not save his fortress from an overwhelming foe, but 
it gained him honorable terms. Ferdinand permitted the garri- 
son and the inhabitants to repair with their effects to Baza ; and 
the valiant Hubec marched forth with the remnant of his force, 
and took the way to that devoted city. 

The delays caused to the invading army by these various 
circumstances, had been diligently improved by El Zagal ; who 
felt that he was now making his last stand for empire, and that 
this campaign would decide, whether he should continue a king, 
or sink into a vassal. He was but a few leagues from Baza, at 
the city of G-uadix. This last was the most important point of 
his remaining territories, being a kind of bulwark between them 
and the hostile city of Granada, the seat of his nephew's power. 
Though he heard of the tide of war, therefore, collecting and 
rolling towards the city of Baza, he dared not go in person to its 
assistance. He dreaded that, should he leave Guadix, Boabdil 
would attack him in rear while the Christian army was battling 
with him in front. El Zagal trusted in the great strength of Baza, 
to defy any violent assault, and profited by the delays of the Chris- 
tian army, to supply it with all possible means of defence. He 
sent thither all the troops he could spare from his garrison of 
Guadix, and dispatched missives throughout his territories, calling 



EL ZAGAL'S PREPARATIONS. 385 



upon all true Moslems to hasten to Baza, and make a devoted 
stand in defence of their homes, their liberties, and their reli- 
gion. The cities of Tavernas and Purchena, and the surround- 
ing heights and valleys, responded to his orders, and sent forth 
their fighting men to the field. The rocky fastnesses of the 
Alpuxarras resounded with the din of arms : troops of horse and 
bodies of foot-soldiers were seen winding down the rugged cliffs 
and defiles of those marble mountains, and hastening towards 
Baza. Many brave cavaliers of Granada also, spurning the quiet 
and security of Christian vassalage, secretly left the city and 
hastened to join their fighting countrymen. The great depend- 
ence of El Zagal, however, was upon the valor and loyalty of his 
cousin and brother-in-law, Cid Hiaya Alnayar,* who was alcayde 
of Almeria, — a cavalier experienced in warfare, and redoubtable 
in the field. He wrote to him to leave Almeria, and repair, with 
all speed, at the head of his troops, to Baza. Cid Hiaya de- 
parted immediately, with ten thousand of the bravest Moors in 
the kingdom. These were for the most part hardy mountaineers, 
tempered to sun and storm, and tried in many a combat. None 
equalled them for a sally or a skirmish. They were adroit in ex- 
ecuting a thousand stratagems, ambuscadoes, and evolutions. Im- 
petuous in their assaults, yet governed in their utmost fury by a 
word or sign from their commander, at the sound of a trumpet 

* This name has generally heen written Cidi Yahye. The present mode 
is adopted on the authority of Alcantara in his history of Granada ; who 
appears to have derived it from Arabic manuscripts, existing in the ar- 
chives of the marques de Corvera, descendant of Cid Hiaya. The latter 
(Cid Hiaya) was son of Aben Zalim. a deceased prince of Almeria, and 
was a lineal descendant from the celebrated Aben Had, surnamed the Just. 
The wife of Cid Hiaya was sister of the two Moorish generals, Abul Cacim 
and Reduan Vanegas, and like them the fruit of the union of a Christian 
knight, Don Pedro Vanegas, with Cetimerien, a Moorish princess. 
17 



386 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






they would check themselves in the midst of their career, wheel 
off and disperse ; and at another sound of a trumpet, they would 
as suddenly re-assemble and return to the attack. They were 
upon the enemy when least expected, coming like a rushing blast, 
spreading havoc and consternation, and then passing away in an 
instant ; so that when one recovered from the shock and looked 
around, behold nothing was to be seen or heard of this tempest 
of war, but a cloud of dust and the clatter of retreating hoofs.* 

When Cid Hiaya led his train of ten thousand valiant war- 
riors into the gates of Baza, the city rang with acclamations, and 
for a time the inhabitants thought themselves secure. El Zagal, 
also, felt a glow of confidence, notwithstanding his own absence 
from the city. " Cid Hiaya," said he, " is my cousin and my 
brother-in-law; related to me by blood and marriage, he is a 
second self: happy is that monarch who has his kindred to com- 
mand his armies." 

With all these reinforcements, the garrison of Baza amounted 
to above twenty thousand men. There were at this time three 
principal leaders in the city : — Mohammed Ibn Hassan, sur- 
named the veteran, who was military governor or alcayde, an old 
Moor of great experience and discretion ; the second was Hamet 
Abu Zali, who was captain of the troops stationed in the place; 
and the third was Hubec Abdilbar, late alcayde of Zujar, who 
had repaired hither with the remains of his garrison. Over all 
these Cid Hiaya exercised a supreme command, in consequence 
of his being of the blood-royal, and in the especial confidence of 
Muley Abdallah el Zagal. He was eloquent and ardent in 
council, and fond of striking and splendid achievements ; but he 
was a little prone to be carried away by the excitement of the 
moment, and the warmth of his imagination. The councils of 

* Pulgar, part 3, c. 106. 



DESCRIPTION OF BAZA. 387 



war of these commanders, therefore, were more frequently con- 
trolled by the opinions of the old alcayde Mohammed Ibn Has- 
san, for whose shrewdness, caution, and experience, Cid Hiaya 
himself felt the greatest deference. 

The city of Baza was situated in a great valley, eight leagues 
in length and three in breadth, called the Hoya, or basin of 
Baza. It was surrounded by a range of mountains, called the 
Sierra of Xabalcohol, the streams of which, collecting themselves 
into two rivers, watered and fertilized the country. The city 
was built in the plain ; one part of it protected by the rocky pre- 
cipices of the mountain, and by a powerful citadel ; the other 
by massive walls, studded with immense towers. It had suburbs 
towards the plain, imperfectly fortified by earthen walls. In 
front of these suburbs extended a tract of orchards and gardens 
nearly a league in length, so thickly planted as to resemble a 
continued forest. Here, every citizen who could afford it, had 
his little plantation, and his garden of fruits and flowers and 
vegetables, watered by canals and rivulets, and dominated by 
a small tower for recreation or defence. This wilderness of 
groves and gardens, intersected in all parts by canals and runs 
of water, and studded by above a thousand small towers, formed 
a kind of protection to this side of the city, rendering all ap- 
proach extremely difficult and perplexed. 

While the Christian army had been detained before the fron- 
tier posts, the city of Baza had been a scene of hurried and un- 
remitting preparation. All the grain of the surrounding valley, 
though yet unripe, was hastily reaped and borne into the city, to 
prevent it from yielding sustenance to the enemy. The country 
was drained of all its supplies ; flocks and herds were driven, 
bleating and bellowing, into the gates ; long trains of beasts of 
burthen, some laden with food, others with lances, darts, and arms 
of all kinds, kept pouring into the place. Already were muni- 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



tions collected sufficient for a siege of fifteen months : still the 
eager and hasty preparation was going on, when the army of 
Ferdinand came in sight. 

On one side might be seen scattered parties of foot and horse 
spurring to the gates, and muleteers hurrying forward their 
burthened animals, all anxious to get under shelter before the 
gathering storm ; on the other side, the cloud of war came sweep- 
ing down the valley, the roll of drum or clang of trumpet re- 
sounding occasionally from its deep bosom, or the bright glance 
of arms flashing forth, like vivid lightning, from its columns. 
King Ferdinand pitched his tents in the valley, beyond the green 
labyrinth of gardens. He sent his heralds to summon the city 
to surrender, promising the most favorable terms in case of im- 
mediate compliance, and avowing in the most solemn terms his 
resolution never to abandon the siege until he had possession of 
the place. 

Upon receiving this summons, the Moorish commanders held 
a council of war. The prince Cid Hiaya, indignant at the me- 
naces of the king, was for retorting by a declaration that the gar- 
rison never would surrender, but would fight until buried under 
the ruins of the walls. " Of what avail," said the veteran Mo- 
hammed, " is a declaration of the kind, which we may falsify by 
our deeds % Let us threaten what we know we can perform, and 
let us endeavor to perform more than we threaten." 

In conformity to his advice, therefore, a. laconic reply was 
sent to the Christian monarch, thanking him for his offer of favor- 
able terms, but informing him that they were placed in the city 
to defend, not to surrender it. 



BATTLE OF THE GARDENS. 389 



CHAPTER LXXI. 

The battle of the gardens before Baza. 

When the reply of the Moorish commanders was brought to king 
Ferdinand, he prepared to press the siege with the utmost rigor. 
Finding the camp too far from the city, and that the intervening 
orchards afforded shelter for the sallies of the Moors, he deter- 
mined to advance it beyond the gardens, in the space between 
them and the suburbs, where his batteries would have full play 
upon the city walls. A detachment was sent in advance, to take 
possession of the gardens, and keep a check upon the suburbs, 
opposing any sally, while the encampment should be formed and 
fortified. The various commanders entered the orchards at dif- 
ferent points. The young cavaliers marched fearlessly forward, 
but the experienced veterans foresaw infinite peril in the mazes 
of this verdant labyrinth. The master of St. Jago, as he led his 
troops into the centre of the gardens, exhorted them to keep by 
one another, and to press forward in defiance of all difliculty or 
danger ; assuring them that God would give them the victory, if 
they attacked hardily and persisted resolutely. 

Scarce had they e'ntered the verge of the orchards, when a 
din of drums and trumpets, mingled with war-cries, was heard 
from the suburbs, and a legion of Moorish warriors on foot 
poured forth. They were led on by the prince Cid Hiaya. He 



390 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



saw the imminent danger of the city, should the Christians gain 
possession of the orchards. " Soldiers," he cried, " we fight for 
life and liberty, for our families, our country, our religion ;* 
nothing is left for us to depend upon, but the strength of our 
hands, the courage of our hearts, and the almighty protection of 
Allah." The Moors answered him with shouts of war, and 
rushed to the encounter. The two hosts met in the midst of the 
gardens. A chance-medley combat ensued, with lances, arque- 
busses, cross-bows, and scimetars ; the perplexed nature of the 
ground, cut up and intersected by canals and streams, the close- 
ness of the trees, the multiplicity of towers and petty edifices, 
gave greater advantages to the Moors, who were on foot, than to 
the Christians, who were on horseback. The Moors, too, knew 
the ground, with all its alleys and passes ; and were thus enabled 
to lurk, to sally forth, attack, and retreat, almost without injury. 

The Christian commanders seeing this, ordered many of the 
horsemen to dismount and fight on foot. The battle then became 
fierce and deadly, each disregarding his own life, provided he 
could slay his enemy. It was not so much a general battle, as a 
multitude of petty actions ; for every orchard and garden had its 
distinct contest. No one could see further than the little scene 
of fury and bloodshed around him, nor know how the general 
battle fared. In vain the captains exerted their voices, in vain 
the trumpets brayed forth signals and commands — all was con- 
founded and unheard, in the universal din and uproar. No one 
kept to his standard, but fought as his own fury or fear dictated. 
In some places the Christians had the advantage, in others the 
Moors ; often, a victorious party, pursuing the vanquished, came 
upon a superior and triumphant force of the enemy, and the fugi- 

* " Illi (Mauri) pro fortunis, pro libertate, pro laribus patriis, pro vita 
denique certabant." — Pietro Martyr, Epist. 70. 






MENDOZA'S INTREPIDITY. 391 



tives turned back upon them in an overwhelming wave. Some 
broken remnants, in their terror and confusion, fled from their 
own countrymen and sought refuge among their enemies, not 
knowing friend from foe, in the obscurity of the groves. The 
Moors were more adroit in these wild skirmishings, from their 
flexibility, lightness, and agility, and the rapidity with which they 
would disperse, rally, and return again to the charge.* 

The hardest fighting was about the small garden towers and 
pavilions, which served as so many petty fortresses. Each party 
by turns gained them, defended them fiercely, and were driven 
out ; many of the towers were set on fire, and increased the hor- 
rors of the fight by the wreaths of smoke and flame in which 
they wrapped the groves, and by the shrieks of those who were 
burning. 

Several of the Christian cavaliers, bewildered by the uproar 
and confusion, and shocked at the carnage which prevailed, would 
have led their men out of the action ; but they were entangled in 
a labyrinth, and knew not which way to retreat. While in this 
perplexity, Juan Perea, the standard-bearer of one of the squad- 
rons of the grand cardinal had his arm carried off by a cannon- 
ball ; the standard was well nigh falling into the hands of the 
enemy, when Rodrigo de Mendoza, an intrepid youth, natural son 
of the grand cardinal, rushed to its rescue, through a shower of 
balls, lances, and arrows, and, bearing it aloft, dashed forward 
with it into the hottest of the combat, followed by his shouting 
soldiery. 

King Ferdinand, who remained in the skirts of the orchard, 
was in extreme anxiety. It was impossible to see much of the 
action, for the multiplicity of trees and towers, and the wreaths 
of smoke ; and those who were driven out defeated, or came out 

* Mariana, lib. 25, cap. 13. 



392 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



wounded and exhausted, gave different accounts, according to the 
fate of the partial conflicts in which they had been engaged. 
Ferdinand exerted himself to the utmost to animate and encour- 
age his troops to this blind encounter, sending reinforcements of 
horse and foot to those points where the battle was most san- 
guinary and doubtful. 

Among those who were brought forth mortally wounded, was 
Don Juan de Luna, a youth of uncommon merit, greatly prized 
by the king, beloved by the army, and recently married to Donna 
Catalina de Urrea, a young lady of distinguished beauty.* They 
laid him at the foot of a tree, and endeavored to stanch and bind 
up his wounds with a scarf which his bride had wrought for him ; 
but his life-blood flowed too profusely ; and while a holy friar 
was yet administering to him the last sacred offices of the church, 
he expired, almost at the feet of his sovereign. 

On the other hand, the veteran alcayde Mohammed Ibn Has- 
san, surrounded by a little band of chieftains, kept an anxious 
eye upon the scene of combat, from the walls of the city. For 
nearly twelve hours, the battle raged without intermission. The 
thickness of the foliage hid all the particulars from their sight ; 
but they could see the flash of swords and glance of helmets 
among the trees. Columns of smoke rose in every direction, 
while the clash of arms, the thundering of ribadoquines and ar- 
quebusses, the shouts and cries of the combatants, and the groans 
and supplications of the wounded, bespoke the deadly conflict 
waging in the bosom of the groves. They were harassed, too, by 
the shrieks and lamentations of the Moorish women and children, 
as their wounded relatives were brought bleeding from the scene 
of action ; and were stunned by a general outcry of woe on the 
part of the inhabitants, as the body of Reduan Zafarjal, a rene- 

* Mariana. P. Martyr. Zurita. 



DESPERATE STRUGGLE. 393 



gado Christian, and one of the bravest of their generals, was 
borne breathless into the city. 

At length the din of battle approached nearer to the skirts of 
the orchards. They beheld their warriors driven out from among 
the groves by fresh squadrons of the enemy, and, after disputing 
the ground inch by inch, obliged to retire to a place between the 
orchards and the suburbs, which was fortified with palisadoes. 

The Christians immediately planted opposing palisadoes, and 
. established strong outposts near to this retreat of the Moors ; 
while, at the same time, king Ferdinand ordered that his encamp- 
ment should be pitched within the hard-won orchards. 

Mohammed Ibn Hassan sallied forth to the aid of the prince 
Cid Hiaya, and made a desperate attempt to dislodge the enemy 
from this formidable position : but the night had closed, and the 
darkness rendered it impossible to make any impression. The 
Moors, however, kept up constant assaults and alarms, through- 
out the night ; and the weary Christians, exhausted by the toils 
and sufferings of the day, were not allowed a moment of repose.* 

* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 106, 107. Cura de los Palacios, cap. 92. Zurita, 
lib. 20, cap. 81. 



17* 



394 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXII. 

Siege of Baza. — Embarrassments of the army. 

The morning sun rose upon a piteous scene, before the walls of 
Baza. The Christian outposts, harassed throughout the night, 
were pale and haggard ; while the multitudes of slain which lay- 
before their palisadoes, showed the fierce attacks they had sus- 
tained, and the bravery of their defence. 

Beyond them lay the groves and gardens of Baza ; once 
favorite resorts for recreation and delight — now, a scene of horror 
and desolation. The towers and pavilions were smoking ruins ; 
the canals and water-courses were discolored with blood, and 
choked with the bodies of the slain. Here and there, the ground, 
deep dinted with the tramp of man and steed, and plashed and 
slippery with gore, showed where had been some fierce and mortal 
conflict; while the bodies of Moors and Christians, ghastly in 
death, lay half concealed among the matted and trampled shrubs, 
and flowers, and herbage. 

Amidst these sanguinary scenes rose the Christian tents, 
hastily pitched among the gardens in the preceding evening. 
The experience of the night, however, and the forlorn aspect of 
every thing in the morning, convinced king Ferdinand of the 
perils and hardships to which his camp must be exposed, in its 
present situation ; and, after a consultation with his principal 
cavaliers, he resolved to abandon the orchards. 



FERDINAND'S MANOEUVRE. 395 



It was a dangerous movement, to extricate his army from so 
entangled a situation, in the face of so alert and daring an enemy. 
A bold front was therefore kept up towards the city ; additional 
troops were ordered to the advanced posts, and works begun as if 
for a settled encampment. Not a tent was struck in the gardens ; 
but in the mean time, the most active and unremitting exertions 
were made to remove all the baggage and furniture of the camp 
back to the original station. 

All day, the Moors beheld a formidable show of war main- 
tained in front of the gardens ; while in the rear, the tops of the 
Christian tents, and the pennons of the different commanders, 
were seen rising above the groves. Suddenly, towards evening, 
the tents sank and disappeared ; the outposts broke up their 
stations and withdrew, and the whole shadow of an encampment 
was fast vanishing from their eyes. 

The Moors saw too late the subtle manoeuvre of king Fer- 
dinand. Cid Hiaya again sallied forth with a large force of 
horse and foot, and pressed furiously upon the Christians. The 
latter, however, experienced in Moorish attack, retired in close 
order, sometimes turning upon the. enemy and driving them to 
their barricadoes, and then pursuing their retreat. In this way 
the army was extricated, without much further loss, from the 
perilous labyrinths of the gardens. 

The camp was now out of danger ; but it was also too distant 
from the city to do mischief, while the Moors could sally forth 
and return without hindrance. The king called a council of war, 
to consider in what manner to proceed. The marques of Cadiz 
was for abandoning the siege for the present, the place being too 
strong, too well garrisoned and provided, and too extensive, for 
their limited forces either to carry it by assault, or invest and re- 
duce it by famine ; while, in lingering before it, the army would 
be exposed to the usual maladies and sufferings of besieging 



396 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



armies, and, when the rainy season came on, would be shut up by 
the swelling of the rivers. He recommended, instead, that the 
king should throw garrisons of horse and foot into all the towns 
captured in the neighborhood, and leave them to keep up a pre- 
datory war upon Baza, while he should overrun and ravage all 
the country ; so that, in the following year, Almeria and Guadix, 
having all their subject towns and territories taken from them, 
might be starved into submission. 

Don G-utierre de Cardenas, senior commander of Leon, on the 
other hand, maintained that to abandon the siege would be con- 
strued by the enemy into a sign of weakness and irresolution. It- 
would give new spirits to the partisans of El Zagal, and would 
gain to his standard many of the wavering subjects of Boabdil, if 
it did not encourage the fickle populace of Granada to open re- 
bellion. He advised therefore that the siege should be prose- 
cuted with vigor. 

The pride of Ferdinand pleaded in favor of the last opinion ; 
for it would be doubly humiliating, again to return from a cam- 
paign in this part of the Moorish kingdom, without effecting a 
blow. But when he reflected on all that his army had suffered, 
and on all that they must suffer should the siege continue — espe- 
cially from the difficulty of obtaining a regular supply of provi- 
sions for so numerous a host, across a great extent of rugged and 
mountainous country — he determined to consult the safety of his 
people, and to adopt the advice of the marques of Cadiz. 

When the soldiery heard that the king was about to raise the 
siege in mere consideration of their sufferings, they were filled 
with generous enthusiasm, and entreated, as with one voice, that 
the siege might never be abandoned until the city surrendered. 

Perplexed by conflicting counsels, the king dispatched mes- 
sengers to the queen at Jaen, requesting her advice. Posts had 
been stationed between them, in such manner that missives from 






ISABELLA'S ZEAL. 397 



the camp could reach the queen within ten hours. Isabella sent 
instantly her reply. She left the policy of raising or continuing 
the siege to the decision of the king and his captains ; but should 
they determine to persevere, she pledged herself, with the aid of 
Grod, to forward them men, money, provisions, and all other sup- 
plies, until the city should be taken. 

The reply of the queen determined Ferdinand to persevere ; 
and when his determination was made known to the army, it was 
hailed with as much joy as if it had been tidings of a victory. 



398 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXIII. 

Siege of Baza continued. — How King Ferdinand completely invested 

the city. 

The Moorish prince Cidi Hiaya had received tidings of the 
doubts and discussions in the Christian camp, and nattered him- 
self with hopes that the besieging army would soon retire in de- 
spair, though the veteran Mohammed shook his head with incre- 
dulity. A sudden movement one morning in the Christian camp, 
seemed to confirm the sanguine hopes of the prince. The tents 
were struck, the artillery and baggage were conveyed away, and 
bodies of soldiers began to march along the valley. The momen- 
tary gleam of triumph was soon dispelled. The Catholic king 
had merely divided his host into two camps, the more effectually 
to distress the city. One, consisting of four thousand horse and 
eight thousand foot, with all the artillery and battering engines, 
took post on the side of the city towards the mountain. This 
was commanded by the marques of Cadiz, with whom were Don 
Alonzo de Aguilar, Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, and many 
other distinguished cavaliers. 

The other camp was commanded by the king, having six thou- 
sand horse and a great host of foot-soldiers, the hardy mountain- 
eers of Biscay, Guipuscoa, G-alicia, and the Asturias. Among 
the cavaliers who were with the king were the brave count de 
Tendilla, Don Rodrigo de Mendoza, and Don Alonzo de Carde- 



NEW INVESTMENT OF BAZA. 399 



nas, master of Santiago. The two camps were wide asunder, on 
opposite sides of the city, and between them lay the thick wilder- 
ness of orchards. Both camps were therefore fortified by great 
trenches, breastworks, and palisadoes. The veteran Mohammed, 
as he saw these two formidable camps glittering on each side of the 
city, and noted the well-known pennons of renowned commanders 
fluttering above them, still comforted his companions : " These 
camps," said he, " are too far removed from each other, for mu- 
tual succor and co-operation ; and the forest of orchards is as a 
gulf between them." This consolation was but of short continu- 
ance. Scarcely were the Christian camps fortified, when the ears 
of the Moorish garrison were startled by the sound of innumera- 
ble axes, and the crash of falling trees. They looked with anxiety 
from their highest towers, and beheld their favorite groves sinking 
beneath the blows of the Christian pioneers. The Moors sallied 
forth with fiery zeal to protect their beloved gardens, and the or- 
chards in which they so much delighted. The Christians, how- 
ever, were too well supported to be driven from their work. Day 
after day, the gardens became the scene of incessant and bloody 
skirmishings ; yet still the devastation of the groves went on, for 
king Ferdinand was too well aware of the necessity of clearing 
away this screen of woods, not to bend all his forces to the under- 
taking. It was a work, however, of gigantic toil and patience. 
The trees were of such magnitude, and so closely set together, 
and spread over so wide an extent, that notwithstanding four 
thousand men were employed, they could scarcely clear a strip of 
land ten paces broad within a day ; and such were the interrup- 
tions from the incessant assaults of the Moors, that it was full 
forty days before the orchards were completely levelled. 

The devoted city of Baza now lay stripped of its beautiful 
covering of groves and gardens, at once its ornament, its delight, 
and its protection. The besiegers went on slowly and surely, 



400 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



with almost incredible labors, to invest and isolate the city. 
They connected their camps by a deep trench across the plain, a 
league in length, into which they diverted the waters of the 
mountain streams. They protected this trench by palisadoes, 
fortified by fifteen castles, at regular distances. They dug a 
deep trench, also, two leagues in length, across the mountain in 
the rear of the city, reaching from camp to camp, and fortified it 
on each side with walls of earth, and stone, and wood. Thus the 
Moors were inclosed on all sides by trenches, palisadoes, walls, 
and castles ; so that it was impossible for them to sally beyond 
this great line of circumvallation — nor could any force enter to 
their succor. Ferdinand made an attempt likewise, to cut off the 
supply of water from the city ; " for water," observes the worthy 
Agapida, " is more necessary to these infidels than bread, making 
use of it in repeated daily ablutions enjoined by their damnable 
religion, and employing it in baths and in a thousand other idle 
and extravagant modes, of which we Spaniards and Christians 
make but little account." 

There was a noble fountain of pure water, which gushed out 
at the foot of the hill Albohacen, just behind the city. The 
Moors had almost a superstitious fondness for this fountain, 
and chiefly depended upon it for their supplies. Receiving inti- 
mation from some deserters, of the plan of king Ferdinand to 
get possession of this precious fountain, they sallied forth at 
night, and threw up such powerful works upon the impending 
hill, as to set all attempts of the Christian assailants at defiance. 



ADVENTURE OF THE CAVALIERS. 401 



CHAPTER LXXIV. 

Exploit of Hernando Perez del Pulgar and other Cavaliers. 

The siege of Baza, while it displayed the skill and science of 
the Christian commanders, gave but little scope for the adven- 
turous spirit and fiery valor of the young Spanish cavaliers. 
They repined at the tedious monotony and dull security of their 
fortified camp, and longed for some soul-stirring exploit of diffi- 
culty and danger. Two of the most spirited of these youthful 
cavaliers were Francisco de Bazan and Antonio de Cueva, the 
latter of whom was son to the duke of Albuquerque. As they 
were one day seated on the ramparts of the camp, and venting 
their impatience at this life of inaction, they were overheard by 
a veteran adalid, one of those scouts or guides who are acquainted 
with all parts of the country. " Senors," said he, " if you wish 
for a service of peril and profit, if you are willing to pluck the 
fiery old Moor by the beard, I can lead you to where you may 
put your mettle to the proof. Hard by the city of Guadix, are 
certain hamlets rich in booty. I can conduct you by a way in 
which you may come upon them by surprise ; and if you are as 
cool in the head, as you are hot in the spur, you may bear off 
your spoils from under the very eyes of old El Zagal." 

The idea of thus making booty at the very gates of Guadix, 
pleased the hot-spirited youths. These predatory excursions 
were frequent about this time ; and the Moors of Padul, Allien- 



402 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



den, and other towns of the Alpuxarras, had recently harassed the 
Christian territories by expeditions of the kind. Francisco de 
Bazan and Antonio de Cueva soon found other young cavaliers 
of their age, eager to join in the adventure ; and in a little while, 
they had nearly three hundred horse and two hundred foot, ready 
equipped and eager for the foray. 

Keeping their destination secret, they sallied out of the camp 
on the edge of an evening, and, guided by the adalid, made their 
way by starlight through the most secret roads of the moun- 
tains. In this way they pressed on rapidly day and night, until 
early one morning, before cock-crowing, they fell suddenly upon 
the hamlets, made prisoners of the inhabitants, sacked the houses, 
ravaged the fields, and sweeping through the meadows, gathered 
together all the flocks and herds. Without giving themselves 
time to rest, they set out upon their return, making with all speed 
for the mountains, before the alarm should be given and the 
country roused. 

Several of the herdsmen, however, had fled to Gruadix, and 
carried tidings of the ravage to El Zagal. The beard of old 
Muley trembled with rage ; he immediately sent out six hundred 
of his choicest horse and foot, with order to recover the booty 
and to bring those insolent marauders captive to G-uadix. 

The Christian cavaliers were urging their cavalgada of cattle 
and sheep up a mountain, as fast as their own weariness would 
permit, when, looking back, they beheld a great cloud of dust, 
and presently descried the turbaned host hot upon their traces. 

They saw that the Moors were superior in number; they 
were fresh also, both man and steed, whereas both they and their 
horses were fatigued by two days and two nights of hard march- 
ing. Several of the horsemen therefore gathered round the com- 
manders, and proposed that they should relinquish their spoil, 
and save themselves by flight. The captains, Francisco de Bazan 






EXPLOIT OF PEREZ DEL PULGAR. 403 



and Antonio de Cueva, spurned at such craven counsel. " What !" 
cried they, " abandon our prey without striking a blow ? Leave 
our foot-soldiers too in the lurch, to be overwhelmed by the 
enemy ? If any one gives such counsel through fear, he mistakes 
the course of safety ; for there is less danger in presenting a bold 
front to the foe, than in turning a dastard back ; and fewer men 
are killed in a brave advance, than in a cowardly retreat." 

Some of the cavaliers were touched by these words, and de- 
clared that they would stand by the foot-soldiers like true com- 
panions in arms : the great mass of the party, however, were 
volunteers, brought together by chance, who received no pay, nor 
had any common tie to keep them together in time of danger. 
The pleasure of the expedition being over, each thought but of 
his own safety, regardless of his companions. As the enemy 
approached, the tumult of opinions increased, and every thing 
was in confusion. The captains, to put an end to the dispute, 
ordered the standard-bearer to advance against the Moors, well 
knowing that no true cavalier would hesitate to follow and defend 
his banner. The standard-bearer hesitated — the troops were on 
the point of taking to flight. 

Upon this a cavalier of the royal guards rode to the front. 
It was Hernan Perez del Pulgar, alcayde of the fortress of 
Salar : the same dauntless ambassador who once bore to the 
turbulent people of Malaga the king's summons to surrender. 
Taking off a handkerchief which he wore round his head, after 
the Andalusian fashion, he tied it to the end of a lance and ele- 
vated it in the air. " Cavaliers," cried he, " why do ye take 
weapons in your hands, if you depend upon your feet for safety % 
This day will determine who is the brave man, and who the coward. 
He who is disposed to fight, shall not want a standard : let him 
follow this handkerchief." So saying, he waved his banner, and 
spurred bravely against the Moors. His example shamed some 



404 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






and filled others with generous emulation : all turned with one 
accord, and, following Pulgar, rushed with shouts upon the enemy. 
The Moors scarcely waited to receive the shock of their en- 
counter. Seized with a panic, they took to 'flight, and were pur- 
sued for a considerable distance, with great slaughter. Three 
hundred of their dead strewed the road, and were stripped and 
despoiled by the conquerors ; many were taken prisoners, and the 
Christian cavaliers returned in triumph to the camp, with a long 
eavalgada of sheep and cattle, and mules laden with booty, and 
bearing before them the singular standard which had conducted 
them to victory. 

King Ferdinand was so pleased with the gallant action of 
Hernan Perez del Pulgar that he immediately conferred on him 
the honor of knighthood ; using in the ceremony the sword of 
Diego de Aguero, the captain of the royal guards ; the duke of 
Esculona girded one of his own gilt spurs upon his heel, and the 
grand master of Santiago, the count de Cabra, and Gonsalvo 
of Cordova officiated as witnesses. Furthermore, to perpetuate 
in his family the memory of his achievement, the sovereigns au- 
thorized him to emblazon on his escutcheon a golden lion in an 
azure field, bearing a lance with a handkerchief at the end of it. 
Round the border of the escutcheon were depicted the eleven 
alcaydes vanquished in the battle.* The foregoing is but one of 
many hardy and heroic deeds done by this brave cavalier, in the 
wars against the Moors ; by which he gained great renown, and 
the distinguished appellation of " El de las hazanas," or " He of 
the exploits."! 

* Alcantara, Hist, de Granada, tomo iv., cap. 18. Pulgar, Cron., part iii. 

t Hernan or Hernando del Pulgar, the historian, secretary to Queen Isa- 
bella, is confounded with this cavalier, by some writers. He was also pre- 
sent at the siege of Baza, and has recounted this transaction in his chron- 
icle of the Catholic sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella. 






SIEGE OF BAZA CONTINUED. 405 



CHAPTER LXXV. 

Continuation of the Siege of Baza. 

The Moorish king El Zagal mounted a tower, and looked out 
eagerly to enjoy the sight of the Christian marauders brought 
captive in to the gates of Guadix ; but his spirits fell, when he be- 
held his own troops stealing back in the dusk of the evening, in 
broken and dejected parties. 

The fortune of war bore hard against the old monarch ; his 
mind was harassed by disastrous tidings brought each day from 
Baza, of the sufferings of the inhabitants, and the numbers of 
the garrison slain in the frequent skirmishes. He dared not go 
in person to the relief of the place, for his presence was neces- 
sary in Guadix, to keep a check upon his nephew in Granada. 
He sent reinforcements and supplies ; but they were intercepted, 
and either captured or driven back. Still his situation was in 
some respects preferable to that of his nephew Boabdil. He was 
battling like a warrior, on the last step of his throne ; El Chico 
remained a kind of pensioned vassal, in the luxurious abode of 
the Alhambra. The chivalrous part of the inhabitants of Gra- 
nada could not but compare the generous stand made by the war- 
riors of Baza for their country and their faith, with their own 
time-serving submission to the yoke of an unbeliever. Every 
account they received of the woes of Baza, wrung their hearts 
with agony ; every account of the exploits of its devoted 



406 CONQUEST OF GRANADA, 



defenders, brought blushes to their cheeks. Many stole forth 
secretly with their weapons, and hastened to join the besieged ; 
and the partisans of El Zagal wrought upon the patriotism and 
passions of the remainder, until another of those conspiracies 
was formed, that were continually menacing the unsteady throne 
of Granada. It was concerted by the conspirators to assail the 
Alhambra on a sudden, slay Boabdil, assemble the troops, and 
march to Gruadix; where, being reinforced by the garrison of 
that place, and led on by the old warrior monarch, they might 
fall with overwhelming power upon the Christian army before 
Baza. 

Fortunately for Boabdil, he discovered the conspiracy in time, 
and the heads of the leaders were struck off, and placed upon the 
walls of the Alhambra, — an act of severity unusual with this 
mild and wavering monarch, which struck terror into the dis- 
affected, and produced a kind of mute tranquillity throughout 
the city. 

Ferdinand had full information of all the movements and 
measures for the relief of Baza, and took precautions to prevent 
them. Bodies of horsemen held watch in the mountain passes, 
to prevent supplies, and intercept any generous volunteers from 
Granada ; and watchtowers were erected, or scouts placed on 
every commanding height, to give the alarm at the least sign of 
a hostile turban. 

The prince Cid Hiaya and his brave companions in arms, 
were thus gradually walled up, as it were, from the rest of the 
world. A line of towers, the battlements of which bristled with 
troops, girded their city ; and behind the intervening bulwarks 
and palisadoes, passed and repassed continual squadrons of 
troops. Week after week, and month after month, passed away, 
but Ferdinand waited in vain for the garrison to be either terri- 
fied or starved into surrender. Every day they sallied forth 



PARTISAN SALLIES. 407 



with the spirit and alacrity of troops high fed, and flushed with 
confidence. " The Christian monarch," said the veteran Mo- 
hammed Ihn Hassan, u builds his hopes upon our growing faint 
and desponding — we must manifest unusual cheerfulness and 
vigor. What would be rashness in other service, becomes pru- 
dence with us." The prince Cid Hiaya agreed with him in 
opinion, and sallied forth with his troops upon all kinds of hare- 
brained exploits. They laid ambushes, concerted surprises, and 
made the most desperate assaults. The great extent of the 
Christian works rendered them weak in many parts : against 
these the Moors directed their attacks, suddenly breaking into 
them, making a hasty ravage, and bearing off their booty in tri- 
umph to the city. Sometimes they would sally forth by passes 
and clefts of the mountain in the rear of the city, which it was 
difficult to guard, and, hurrying down into the plain, sweep off 
all cattle and sheep that were grazing near the suburbs, and all 
stragglers from the camp. 

These partisan sallies brought on many sharp and bloody 
encounters, in some of which Don Alonzo de Aguilar and 
the alcayde de los Donzeles distinguished themselves greatly. 
During one of these hot skirmishes, which happened on the skirts 
of the mountain, about twilight, a cavalier, named Martin Galin- 
do, beheld a powerful Moor dealing deadly blows about him, 
and making great havoc among the Christians. Galindo pressed 
forward and challenged him to single combat. The Moor was 
not slow in answering the call. Couching their lances, they 
rushed furiously upon each other. At the first shock the Mcor 
was wounded in the face, and borne out of his saddle. Before 
Galindo could check his steed, and turn from his career, the 
Moor sprang upon his feet, recovered his lance, and, rushing up- 
on him, wounded him in the head and the arm. Though GaliDdo 
was on horseback and the Moor on foot, yet such was the prow- 



408 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






ess and address of the latter, that the Christian knight being 
disabled in the arm, was in the utmost peril, when his comrades 
hastened to his assistance. At their approach, the valiant pagan 
retreated slowly up the rocks, keeping them at bay, until he 
found himself among his companions. 

Several of the young Spanish cavaliers, stung by the triumph 
of this Moslem knight, would have challenged others of the 
Moors to single combat ; but king Ferdinand prohibited all 
vaunting encounters of the kind. He forbade his troops, also, to 
provoke skirmishes, well knowing that the Moors were more dex- 
terous than most people in this irregular mode of fighting, and 
were better acquainted with the ground. 



FRIARS FROM THE HOLY LAND. 409 



CHAPTER LXXVI. 

How two Friars from the Holy Land arrived at the camp. 

While the lioly Christian army (says Fray Antonio Agapida) 
was thus beleaguering this infidel city of Baza, there rode into the 
camp, one day, two reverend friars of the order of Saint Francis. 
One was of portly person and authoritative air : he bestrode a 
goodly steed, well conditioned and well caparisoned ; while his 
companion rode beside him, upon a humble hack, poorly accoutred, 
and, as he rode, he scarcely raised his eyes from the ground, but 
maintained a meek and lowly air. 

The arrival of two friars in the camp was not a matter of 
much note, for in these holy wars the church militant continually 
mingled in the affray, and helmet and cowl were always seen to- 
gether ; but it was soon discovered that these worthy saints- 
errant were from a far country, and on a mission of great import. 

They were, in truth, just arrived from the Holy Land, being 
two of the saintly men who kept vigil over the sepulchre of our 
blessed Lord at Jerusalem. He of the tall and portly form and 
commanding presence, was Fray Antonio Millan, prior of the 
Franciscan convent in the holy city. He had a full and florid 
countenance, a sonorous voice, and was round, and swelling, and 
copious in his periods, like one accustomed to harangue, and to 
be listened to with deference. His companion was small and 
18 



410 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 


spare in form, pale of visage, and soft and silken and almost 
whispering in speech. " He had a humble and lowly way," says 
Agapida, " evermore bowing the head, as became one of his call- 
ing." Yet he was one of the most active, zealous, and effective 
brothers of the convent ; and when he raised his small black eye 
from the earth, there was a keen glance out of the corner, which 
showed, that though harmless as a dove, he was nevertheless as 
wise as a serpent. 

These holy men had come on a momentous embassy from the 
grand soldan of Egypt ; or, as Agapida terms him in the lan- 
guage of the day, the soldan of Babylon. The league which had 
been made between that potentate and his arch-foe the Grand 
Turk Bajazet II., to unite in arms for the salvation of Granada, 
as has been mentioned in a previous chapter of this chronicle, had 
come to nought. The infidel princes had again taken up arms 
against each other, and had relapsed into their ancient hostility. 
Still the grand soldan, as head of the whole Moslem religion,- 
considered himself bound to preserve the kingdom of Granada 
from the grasp of unbelievers. He dispatched, therefore, these 
two holy friars with letters to the Castilian sovereigns, as well as 
to the pope and to the king of Naples, remonstrating against the 
evils done to the Moors of the kingdom of Granada, who were of 
his faith and kindred; whereas it was well known that great 
numbers of Christians were indulged and protected in the full 
enjoyment of their property, their liberty, and their faith, in his 
dominions. He insisted, therefore, that this war should cease ; 
that the Moors of Granada should be reinstated in the territory 
of which they had been dispossessed ; otherwise he threatened to 
put to death all the Christians beneath his sway, to demolish 
their convents and temples, and to destroy the holy sepulchre. 

This fearful menace had spread consternation among the 
Christians of Palestine ; and when the intrepid Fray Antonio 



SENTIMENT OF THE KING OF NAPLES. 411 



Millan and his lowly companion departed on their mission, they 
were accompanied far from the gates of Jerusalem by an anxious 
throng of brethren and disciples, who remained watching them 
with tearful eyes, as long as they were in sight. 

These holy ambassadors were received with great distinction 
by king Ferdinand ; for men of their cloth had ever high honor 
and consideration in his court. He had long and frequent con- 
versations with them, about the Holy Land ; the state of the 
Christian church in the dominions of the grand soldan, and of 
the policy and conduct of that arch-infidel towards it. The 
portly prior of the Franciscan convent was full, and round, and 
oratorical, in his replies ; and the king expressed himself much 
pleased with the eloquence of his periods ; but the politic mon- 
arch was observed to lend a close and attentive ear to the whis- 
pering voice of the lowly companion, " whose discourse," adds 
Agapida, " though modest and low, was clear and fluent, and full 
of subtle wisdom." These holy friars had visited Kome in their 
journeying, where they had delivered the letter of the soldan to 
the sovereign pontiff. His holiness had written by them to the 
Castilian sovereigns, requesting to know what reply they had to 
offer to this demand of the oriental potentate. 

The king of Naples also wrote to them on the subject, but in 
wary terms. He inquired into the cause of this war with the 
Moors of Granada, and expressed great marvel at its events, as if 
(says Agapida) both were not notorious throughout all the Chris- 
tian world. " Nay," adds the worthy friar with becoming indig- 
nation, " he uttered opinions savoring of little better than damna- 
ble heresy ; — for he observed, that although the Moors were of a 
different sect, they ought not to be maltreated without just cause ; 
and hinted that if the Castilian sovereigns did not suffer any cry- 
ing injury from the Moors, it would be improper to do any thing 
which might draw great damage upon the Christians : as if, when 



412 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






once the sword of the faith was drawn, it ought ever to be sheath- 
ed until this scum of heathendom, were utterly destroyed or 
driven from the land. But this monarch," he continues, " was 
more kindly disposed towards the infidels than was honest and 
lawful in a Christian prince, and was at that very time in league 
with the soldan against their common enemy the Grand-Turk." 

These pious sentiments of the truly Catholic Agapida are 
echoed by Padre Mariana, in his history ;* but the worthy chro- 
nicler Pedro Abarca attributes the interference of the king of 
Naples, not to lack of orthodoxy in religion, but to an excess of 
worldly policy ; he being apprehensive that, should Ferdinand 
conquer the Moors of Granada, he might have time and means to 
assert a claim of the house of Aragon to the crown of Naples." 

u King Ferdinand," continues the worthy father Pedro 
Abarca, " was no less master of dissimulation than his cousin of 
Naples ; so he replied to him with the utmost suavity of manner, 
going into a minute and patient vindication of the war, and 
taking great apparent pains to inform him of those things which 
all the world knew, but of which the other pretended to be igno- 
rant."! At the same time he soothed his solicitude about the 
fate of the Christians in the empire of the grand soldan, assuring 
him that the great revenue extorted from them in rents and tri- 
butes, would be a certain protection against the threatened vio- 
lence. 

To the pope he made the usual vindication of the war ; that 
it was for the recovery of ancient territory, usurped by the 
Moors ; for the punishment of wars and violences inflicted upon 
the Christians ; and finally, that it was a holy crusade for the 
glory and advancement of the church. 






* Mariana, lib. 25, cap. 15. 

t Abarca, Anales de Aragon, Rey xxx. cap. 8. 






THE FRIARS BEFORE ISABELLA. 413 



u It was a truly edifying sight," says Agapida, " to behold 
these friars, after they had had their audience of the king, mov- 
ing about the camp always surrounded by nobles and cavaliers of 
high and martial renown. These were insatiable in their ques- 
tions about the Holy Land, the state of the sepulchre of our 
Lord, and the sufferings of the devoted brethren who guarded it, 
and the pious pilgrims who resorted there to pay their vows. 
The portly prior of the convent would stand with lofty and 
shining countenance in the midst of these iron warriors, and de- 
claim with resounding eloquence on the history of the sepulchre ; 
but the humbler brother would ever and anon sigh deeply, and in 
low tones utter some tale of suffering and outrage, at which his 
steel-clad hearers would grasp the hilts of their swords, and mut- 
ter between their clenched teeth prayers for another crusade." 

The pious friars having finished their mission to the king, 
and been treated with all due distinction, took their leave, and 
wended their way to Jaen, to visit the most Catholic of queens. 
Isabella, whose heart was the seat of piety, received them as sa- 
cred men, invested with more than human dignity. During their 
residence at Jaen, they were continually in the royal presence ; 
the respectable prior of the convent moved and melted the ladies 
of the court by his florid rhetoric, but his lowly companion was 
observed to have continual access to the royal ear. That saintly 
and soft-spoken messenger (says Agapida) received the reward of 
his humility ; for the queen, moved by his frequent representa- 
tions, made in all modesty and lowliness of spirit, granted a 
yearly sum in perpetuity, of one thousand ducats in gold, for the 
support of the monks of the convent of the holy sepulchre.* 



* " La Reyna dio a los Frayles mil ducados de renta cado ano para el 
sustento de los religiosos del santo sepulcro, que cs la mejor limosna y sus- 
tento que hasta nuestros dias ha quedado a estos religiosos de Gerusalem : 



414 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






Moreover, on the departure of these holy ambassadors, the 
excellent and most Catholic queen delivered to them a veil de- 
voutly embroidered with her own royal hands, to be placed over 
the holy sepulchre ; — a precious and inestimable present, which 
called forth a most eloquent tribute of thanks from the portly 
prior, but which brought tears into the eyes of his lowly com- 
panion.* 

para donde les dio la Reyna un velo labrado por sus manos, para poner en- 
cima de la santa sepultura del Senor." — Garibay, Compend. Hist. lib. 18, 
cap. 36. 

* " It is proper to mention the result of this mission of the two friars, and 
which the worthy Agapida has neglected to record. At a subsequent pe- 
riod, the Catholic sovereigns sent the distinguished historian, Pietro Mar- 
tyr, of Angleria, as ambassador to the grand soldan. That able man made 
such representations as were perfectly satisfactory to the oriental potentate. 
He also obtained from him the remission of many exactions and extortions 
heretofore practised upon Christian pilgrims visiting the holy sepulchre ; 
which, it is presumed, had been gently but cogently detailed to the mon- 
arch by the lowly friar. Pietro Martyr wrote an account of his embassy 
to the grand soldan — a work greatly esteemed by the learned, and contain- 
ing much curious information. It is entitled, De Legatione Babylonica. 



THE QUEEN DEVISES WAYS AND MEANS. 415 



CHAPTER LXXVII. 

How Queen Isabella devised means to supply the army with provisions. 

It has been the custom to laud the conduct and address of king 
Ferdinand, in this most arduous and protracted war ; but the 
sage Agapida is more disposed to give credit to the counsels and 
measures of the queen, who, he observes, though less ostensible in 
action, was in truth the very soul, the vital principle, of this great 
enterprise. While king Ferdinand was bustling in his camp and 
making a glittering display with his gallant chivalry, she, sur- 
rounded by her saintly counsellors, in the episcopal palace of 
Jaen, was devising ways and means to keep the king and his 
army in existence. She had pledged herself to keep up a supply 
of men, and money, and provisions, until the city should be taken. 
The hardships of the siege caused a fearful waste of life, but the 
supply of men was the least difficult part of her undertaking. 
So beloved was the queen by the chivalry of Spain, that on her 
calling on them for assistance, not a grandee or cavalier that yet 
lingered at home, but either repaired in person or sent forces to 
the camp ; the ancient and warlike families vied with each other 
in marshalling forth their vassals, and thus the besieged Moors 
beheld each day fresh troops arriving before their city, and new 
ensigns and pennons displayed, emblazoned with arms well-known 
A x> the veteran warriors. 



416 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






But the most arduous task was to keep up a regular supply of 
provisions. It wa3 not the army alone that had to be supported, 
but also the captured towns and their garrisons ; for the whole 
country around them had been ravaged, and the conquerors were 
in danger of starving in the midst of the land they had desolated. 
To transport the daily supplies for such immense numbers, was a 
gigantic undertaking, in a country where there was neither water 
conveyance nor roads for carriages. Every thing had to be borne 
by beasts of burden over rugged and broken paths of the moun- 
tains, and through dangerous denies, exposed to the attacks and 
plunderings of the Moors. 

The wary and calculating merchants, accustomed to supply 
the army, shrank from engaging, at their own risk, in so hazard- 
ous an undertaking. The queen, therefore, hired fourteen thou- 
sand beasts of burden, and ordered all the wheat and barley to 
be bought up in Andalusia, and in the domains of the knights of 
Santiago and Calatrava. She intrusted the administration of 
these supplies to able and confidential persons. Some were em- 
ployed to collect the grain ; others, to take it to the mills ; 
others, to superintend the grinding and delivery; and others, 
to convey it to the camp. To every two hundred animals a 
muleteer was allotted, to take charge of them on the route. 
Thus, great lines of convoys were in constant movement, tra- 
versing to and fro, guarded by large bodies of troops, to defend 
them from hovering parties of the Moors. Not a single day's in- 
termission was allowed, for the army depended upon the constant 
arrival of these supplies for daily food. The grain, when brought 
into the camp, was deposited in an immense granary, and sold to 
the army at a fixed price, which was never either raised or 
lowered. 

Incredible were the expenses incurred in these supplies ; but 
the queen had ghostly advisers, thoroughly versed in the art of 



RESPONSES TO HER APPEAL. 417 



getting at the resources of the country. Many worthy prelates 
opened the deep purses of the church, and furnished loans from 
the revenues of their dioceses and convents ; and their pious con- 
tributions were eventually rewarded by Providence, a hundred 
fold. Merchants and other wealthy individuals, confident of the 
punctual faith of the queen, advanced large sums on the security 
of her word ; many noble families lent their plate, without 
waiting to be asked. The queen also sold certain annual rents 
in inheritance at great sacrifices, assigning the revenues of 
towns and cities for the payment. Finding all this insufficient 
to satisfy the enormous expenditure, she sent her gold and 
plate and all her jewels to the cities of Valentia and Barce- 
lona, where they were pledged for a great amount of money, 
which was immediately appropriated to keep up the supplies of 
the army. t 

Thus, through the wonderful activity, judgment, and enter- 
prise, of this heroic and magnanimous woman, a great host, en- 
camped in the heart of a warlike country, accessible only over 
mountain roads, was maintained in continual abundance. Nor 
was it supplied merely with the necessaries and comforts of life. 
The powerful escorts drew merchants and artificers from all parts, 
to repair, as if in caravans, to this great military market. In a 
little while, the camp abounded with tradesmen and artists of all 
kinds, to administer to the luxury and ostentation of the youthful 
chivalry. Here might be seen cunning artificers in steel, and ac- 
complished armorers, achieving those rare and sumptuous helmets 
and cuirasses, richly gilt, inlaid, and embossed, in which the 
Spanish cavaliers delighted. Saddlers and harness-makers and 
horse-milliners, also, were there, whose tents glittered with gor- 
geous housings and caparisons. The merchants spread forth 
their sumptuous silks, cloths, brocades, fine linen, and tapestry. 
The tents of the nobility were prodigally decorated with all kinds 
18* 



418 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






of the richest stuffs, and dazzled the eye with their magnificence : 
nor could the grave looks and grave speeches of king Ferdinand 
prevent his youthful cavaliers from vying with each other in the 
splendor of their dresses and caparisons, on all occasions of parade 
and ceremony. 



DISASTERS IN THE CAMP. 419 



CHAPTER LXXVIII. 

Of the disasters which befell the camp. 

While the Christian camp, thus gay and gorgeous, spread itself 
out like a holyday pageant before the walls of Baza — while a 
long line of beasts of burden laden with provisions and luxuries, 
were seen descending the valley from morning till night, and 
pouring into the camp a continued stream of abundance, — the 
unfortunate garrison found their resources rapidly wasting away, 
and famine already began to pinch the peaceful part of the con> 
munity. 

Cid Hiaya had acted with great spirit and valor, as long as 
there was any prospect of success ; but he began to lose his usual 
fire and animation, and was observed to pace the walls of Baza 
with a pensive air, casting many a wistful look towards the Chris- 
tian camp, and sinking into profound reveries and cogitations. 
The veteran alcayde, Mohammed Ibn Hassan, noticed these de- 
sponding moods, and endeavored to rally the spirits of the prince. 
" The rainy season is at hand," would he cry ; " the floods will 
soon pour down from the mountains; the rivers will overflow 
their banks, and inundate the valleys. The Christian king al- 
ready begins to waver ; he dare not linger, and encounter such a 
season, in a plain cut up by canals and rivulets. A single wintry 
storm from our mountains would wash away his canvas city, and 



420 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



sweep off those gay pavilions like wreaths of snow before the 
blast." 

The prince Cid Hiaya took heart at these words, and counted 
the days as they passed until the stormy season should commence. 
As> he watched the Christian camp, he beheld it one morning in 
universal commotion : there was an unusual sound of hammers 
in every part, as if some new engines of war were constructing. 
At length, to his astonishment, the walls and roofs of houses be- 
gan to appear above the bulwarks. In a little while, there were 
above a thousand edifices of wood and plaster erected, covered 
with tiles taken from the demolished towers of the orchards, and 
bearing the pennons of various commanders and cavaliers ; while 
the common soldiery constructed huts, of clay and branches of 
trees, thatched with straw. Thus, to the dismay of the Moors, 
within four days, the light tents and gay pavilions which had 
whitened their hills and plains, passed away like summer clouds ; 
and the unsubstantial camp assumed the solid appearance of a 
city laid out into streets and squares. In the centre rose a large 
edifice, which overlooked the whole ; and the royal standard of 
Aragon and Castile, proudly floating above it, showed it to be the 
palace of the king.* 

Ferdinand had taken the sudden resolution thus to turn his 
camp into a city, partly to provide against the approaching sea- 
son, and partly to convince the Moors of his fixed determination 
to continue the siege. In their haste to erect their dwellings, 
however, the Spanish cavaliers had not properly considered the 
nature of the climate. For the greater part of the year, there 
scarcely falls a drop of rain on the thirsty soil of Andalusia. 
The ramblas, or dry channels of the torrents, remain deep and 
arid gashes and clefts in the sides of the mountains ; the peren- 

* Cura de los Palacios. Pulgar. &c. 



A TEMPEST. 421 



nial streams shrink up to mere threads of water, which, tinkling 
down the bottoms of the deep barrancas or ravines, scarce feed 
and keep alive the rivers of the valleys. The rivers, almost lost 
in their wide and naked beds, seem like thirsty rills, winding in 
serpentine mazes through deserts of sand and stones ; and so 
shallow and tranquil in their course, as to be forded in safety in 
almost every part. One autumnal tempest, however, changes the 
whole face of nature : — the clouds break in deluges among the 
vast congregation of mountains ; the ramblas are suddenly filled 
with raging floods ; the tinkling rivulets swell to thundering tor- 
rents, that come roaring down from the mountains, tumbling 
great masses of rocks in their career. The late meandering river 
spreads over its once naked bed, lashes its surges against the 
banks, and rushes like a wide and foaming inundation through 
the valley. 

Scarcely had the Christians finished their slightly built edi- 
fices, when an autumnal tempest of the kind came scouring from 
the mountains. The camp was immediately overflowed. Many 
of the houses, undermined by the floods or beaten by the rain, 
crumbled away and fell to the earth, burying man and beast be- 
neath their ruins. Several valuable lives were lost, and great 
numbers of horses and other animals perished. To add to the 
distress and confusion of the camp, the daily supply of provisions 
suddenly ceased ; for the rain had broken up the roads, and ren- 
dered the rivers impassable. A panic seized upon the army, for 
the cessation of a single day's supply produced a scarcity of 
bread and provender. Fortunately the rain was but transient : 
the torrents rushed by, and ceased ; the rivers shrank back again 
to their narrow channels, and the convoys which had been de- 
tained upon their banks arrived safely in the camp. 

No sooner did queen Isabella hear of this interruption of her 
supplies, than, with her usual vigilance and activity, she provided 



422 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 

against its recurrence. She dispatched six thousand foot-soldiers, 
under the command of experienced officers, to repair the roads, 
and to make causeways and bridges, for the distance of seven 
Spanish leagues. The troops, also, who had been stationed in 
the mountains by the king to guard the defiles, made two paths, 
one for the convoys going to the camp, and the other for those 
returning, that they might not meet and impede each other. 
The edifices which had been demolished by the late floods were 
rebuilt in a firmer manner, and precautions were taken to pro- 
tect the camp from future inundations. 






ENCOUNTERS BEFORE BAZA. 



CHAPTER LXXIX. 

Encounters between the Christians and Moors, before Baza ; and the devo- 
tion of the inhabitants to the defence of their city. 

When king Ferdinand beheld the ravage and confusion produced 
by a single autumnal storm, and bethought him of all the mala- 
dies to which a besieging camp is exposed in inclement seasons, 
he began to feel his compassion kindling for the suffering people 
of Baza, and an inclination to grant them more favorable terms. 
He sent, therefore, several messages to the alcayde Mohammed 
Ibn Hassan, offering liberty of person and security of property 
for the inhabitants, and large rewards for himself, if he would 
surrender the city. 

The veteran was not to be dazzled by the splendid offers of 
the monarch ; he had received exaggerated accounts of the dam- 
age done to the Christian camp by the late storm, and of the suf- 
ferings and discontents of the army in consequence of the tran- 
sient interruption of supplies: he considered the overtures of 
Ferdinand as proofs of the desperate state of his affairs. " A lit- 
tle more patience, a little more patience," said the shrewd old 
warrior, " and we shall see this cloud of Christian locusts driven 
away before the winter storms. When they once turn their backs, 
it will be our turn to strike ; and, with the help of Allah, the 
blow shall be decisive." He sent a firm though courteous refusal 
to the Castilian monarch, and in the mean time animated his 



424 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



companions to sally forth with more spirit than ever, to attack 
the Spanish outposts and those laboring in the trenches. The 
consequence was, a daily occurrence of daring and bloody skir- 
mishes, that cost the lives of many of the bravest and most ad- 
venturous cavaliers of either army. 

In one of these sallies, nearly three hundred horse and two 
thousand foot mounted the heights behind the city, to capture 
the Christians who were employed upon the works. They came 
by surprise upon a body of guards, esquires of the count de Ure- 
na, killed some, put the rest to flight, and pursued them down the 
mountain, until they came in sight of a small force under the 
count de Tendilla and Gonsalvo of Cordova. The Moors came 
rushing down with such fury, that many of the men of the count 
de Tendilla took to flight. The count braced his buckler, grasped 
his trusty weapon, and stood his ground with his accustomed 
prowess. Gonsalvo of Cordova ranged himself by his side, and, 
marshalling the troops which remained with them, they made a 
valiant front to the Moors. 

The infidels pressed them hard, and were gaining the advan- 
tage, when Alonzo de Aguilar, hearing of the danger of his bro- 
ther Gonsalvo, flew to his assistance, accompanied by the count of 
Urena and a body of their troops. A fight ensued, from cliff to 
cliff, and glen to glen. The Moors were fewer in number, but 
excelled in the dexterity and lightness requisite for scrambling 
skirmishes. They were at length driven from their vantage- 
ground, and pursued by Alonzo de Aguilar and his brother Gon- 
salvo to the very suburbs of the city, leaving many of their brav- 
est men upon the field. 

Such was one of innumerable rough encounters daily taking 
place, in which many brave cavaliers were slain, without apparent 
benefit to either party. The Moors, notwithstanding repeated 
defeats and losses, continued to sally forth daily, with astonishing 



MOORISH ZEAL AND PUBLIC SPIRIT. 425 



spirit and vigor, and the obstinacy of their defence seemed to in- 
crease with their sufferings. 

The prince Cid Hiaya was ever foremost in these sallies, but 
grew daily more despairing of success. All the money in the 
military chest was expended, and there was no longer wherewithal 
to pay the hired troops. Still the veteran Mohammed un- 
dertook to provide for this emergency. Summoning the principal 
inhabitants, he represented the necessity of some exertion and 
sacrifice on their part to maintain the defence of the city. " The 
enemy," said he, " dreads the approach of winter, and our perse- 
verance drives him to despair. A little longer, and he will leave 
you in quiet enjoyment of your homes and families. But our 
troops must be paid, to keep them in good heart. Our money is 
exhausted, and all our supplies are cut off. It is impossible to 
continue our defence, without your aid." 

Upon this the citizens consulted together, and collected all 
their vessels of gold and silver, and brought them to Mohammed : 
" Take these," said they, " and coin, or sell, or pledge them, for 
money wherewith to pay the troops." The women of Baza also 
were seized with generous emulation : " Shall we deck ourselves 
with gorgeous apparel," said they, " when our country is desolate, 
and its defenders in want of bread ?" So they took their collars, 
and bracelets, and anklets, and other ornaments of gold, and all 
their jewels, and put them in the hands of the veteran alcayde : 
" Take these spoils of our vanity," said they, " and let them con- 
tribute to the defence of our homes and families. If Baza be de- 
livered, we need no jewels to grace our rejoicing ; and if Baza 
fall, of what avail are prnaments to the captive ?" 

By these contributions was Mohammed enabled to pay the 
soldiery, and carry on the defence of the city with unabated 
spirit. 

Tidings were speedily conveyed to king Ferdinand, of this 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



generous devotion on the part of the people of Baza, and the 
hopes which the Moorish commanders gave them that the Chris- 
tian army would soon abandon the siege in despair. " They shall 
have a convincing proof of the fallacy of such hopes," said the po- 
litic monarch : so he wrote forthwith to queen Isabella, praying 
her to come to the camp in state, with all her train and retinue, 
and publicly to take up her residence there for the winter. By 
this means the Moors would be convinced of the settled determi- 
nation of the sovereigns to persist in the siege until the city 
should surrender, and he trusted they would be brought to speedy 
capitulation. 



ISABELLA ARRIVES AT THE CAMP. 427 



CHATTER LXXX 

How Queen Isabella arrived at the camp, and the consequences of her 

arrival. 

Mohammed Ibn Hassan still encouraged his companions with 
hopes that the royal army would soon relinquish the siege ; when 
they heard, one day, shouts of joy from the Christian camp, and 
thundering salvos of artillery. Word was brought, at the same 
time, from the sentinels on the watchtowers, that a Christian 
army was approaching down the valley. Mohammed and his 
fellow-commanders ascended one of the highest towers of the 
walls, and beheld in truth a numerous force, in shining array, de- 
scending the hills, and heard the distant clangor of the trumpet 
and the faint swell of triumphant music. 

As the host drew nearer, they descried a stately dame mag- 
nificently attired, whom they soon discovered to be the queen. 
She was riding on a mule, the sumptuous trappings of which 
were resplendent with gold, and reached to the ground. On her 
right hand rode her daughter, the princess Isabella, equally 
splendid in her array ; and on her left, the venerable grand car- 
dinal of Spain. A noble train of ladies and cavaliers followed, 
together with pages and esquires, and a numerous guard of hi- 
dalgos of high rank, arrayed in superb armor. When the veteran 
Mohammed beheld the queen thus arriving in state to take up 
ler residence in the camp, he shook his head mournfully, and, 



428 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



turning to his captains, " Cavaliers," said he, " the fate of Baza 
is decided !" 

The Moorish commanders remained gazing with a mingled 
feeling of grief and admiration at this magnificent pageant, which 
foreboded the fall of their city. Some of the troops would have 
sallied forth on one of their desperate skirmishes to attack the 
royal guard ; but the prince Cid Hiaya forbade them ; nor would 
he allow any artillery to be discharged, or any molestation or insult 
offered ; for the character of Isabella was venerated even by the 
Moors ; and most of the commanders possessed that high and 
chivalrous courtesy which belongs to heroic spirits — for they were 
among the noblest and bravest of the Moorish cavaliers. 

The inhabitants of Baza eagerly sought every eminence that 
could command a view of the plain ; and every battlement, and 
tower, and mosque, was covered with turbaned heads gazing at 
the glorious spectacle. They beheld king Ferdinand issue forth 
in royal state, attended by the marques of Cadiz, the master of 
Santiago, the duke of Alva, the admiral of Castile, and many 
other nobles of renown ; while the whole chivalry of the camp, 
sumptuously arrayed, followed in his train, and the populace rent 
the air with acclamations at the sight of the patriot queen. 

When the sovereigns had met and embraced, the two hosts 
mingled together and entered the camp in martial pomp ; and the 
eyes of the infidel beholders were dazzled by the flash of armor, 
the splendor of golden caparisons, the gorgeous display of silks, 
brocades, and velvets, of tossing plumes and fluttering banners. 
There was at the same time a triumphant sound of drums and 
trumpets, clarions and sackbuts, mingled with the sweet melody 
of the dulcimer, which came swelling in bursts of harmony that 
seemed to rise up to the heavens.* 

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 92. 



THE QUEEN'S INFLUENCE.— A PARLEY. 429 



On the arrival of the queen, (says the historian Hernando del 
Pulgar, who was present at the time,) it was marvellous to behold 
how all at once the rigor and turbulence of war were softened, 
and the storm of passion sank into a calm. The sword was 
sheathed ; the cross-bow no longer launched its deadly shafts ; 
and the artillery, which had hitherto kept up an incessant uproar, 
now ceased its thundering. On both sides, there was still a vigi- 
lant guard kept up ; the sentinels bristled the walls of Baza with 
their lances, and the guards patrolled the Christian camp ; but 
there was no sallying forth to skirmish, nor any wanton violence 
or carnage.* 

Prince Cid Hiaya saw, by the arrival of the queen, that the 
Christians were determined to continue the siege, and he knew 
that the city would have to capitulate. He had been prodigal of 
the lives of his soldiers, as long as he thought a military good was 
to be gained by the sacrifice ; but he was sparing of their blood 
in a hopeless cause, and weary of exasperating the enemy by an 
obstinate yet hopeless defence. 

At the request of the prince, a parley was granted, and the 
master commander of Leon, Don Gutierrez de Cardenas, was ap- 
pointed to confer with the veteran alcayde Mohammed. They 
met at an appointed place, within view of both camp and city, 
attended by cavaliers of either army. Their meeting was highly 
courteous, for they had learnt, from rough encounters in the 
field, to admire each other's prowess. The commander of Leon, 
in an earnest speech, pointed out the hopelessness of any further 
defence, and warned Mohammed of the ills which Malaga had in- 
curred by its obstinacy. " I promise in the name of my sove- 

* Many particulars of the scenes and occurrences at the siege of Baza, 
are also furnished in the letters of the learned Peter Martyr, who was 
present, and an admiring eye-witness. 



430 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



reigns," said he, " that if you surrender immediately, the inhab- 
itants shall be treated as subjects, and protected in property, 
liberty, and religion. If you refuse, you, who are now renowned 
as an able and judicious commander, will be chargeable with the 
confiscations, captivities, and deaths, which may be suffered by 
the people of Baza." 

The commander ceased, and Mohammed returned to the city 
to consult with his companions. It was evident that all further 
resistance was hopeless ; but the Moorish commanders felt that 
a cloud might rest upon their names, should they, of their own 
discretion, surrender so important a place without its having sus- 
tained an assault. Prince Cid Hiaya requested permission, 
therefore, to send an envoy to Guadix, with a letter to the old 
monarch El Zagal, treating of the surrender ; the request was 
granted, a safe conduct assured to the envoy, and Mohammed Ibn 
Hassan departed upon this momentous mission. 



EL ZAGAL'S DESPAIR. 431 



CHAPTER LXXXI. 

Surrender of Baza. 

The old warrior king was seated in an inner chamber of the castle 
of G-uadix, much cast down in spirit, and ruminating on his 
gloomy fortunes, when an envoy from Baza was announced, and 
the veteran alcayde Mohammed stood before him. El Zagal saw 
disastrous tidings written in his countenance : " How fares it with 
Baza?" said he, summoning up his spirits to the question. u Let 
this inform thee," replied Mohammed ; and he delivered into his 
hands the letter from the prince Cid Hiaya. 

This letter spoke of the desperate situation of Baza ; the im- 
possibility of holding out longer, without assistance from El 
Zagal ; and the favorable terms held out by the Castilian sove- 
reigns. Had it been written by any other person, El Zagal 
might have received it with distrust and indignation ; but he 
confided in Cid Hiaya as in a second self, and the words of his 
letter sank deep in his heart. When he had finished reading it, 
he sighed deeply, and remained for some time lost in thought, 
with his head drooping upon his bosom. Recovering himself, at 
length, he called together the alfaquis and the old men of Guadix, 
and solicited their advice. It was a sign of sore trouble of mind 
and dejection of heart, when El Zagal sought the advice of 
others ; but his fierce courage was tamed, for he saw the end of 
his power approaching. The alfaquis and the old men did but 



432 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



increase the distraction of his mind by a variety of counsel, none 
of which appeared of any avail ; for unless Baza were succored, 
it was impossible that it should hold out ; and every attempt to 
succor it had proved ineffectual. 

El Zagal dismissed his council in despair, and summoned the 
veteran Mohammed before him. " God is great," exclaimed he, 
" there is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet ! Return to 
my cousin, Cid Hiaya ; tell him it is out of my power to aid him ; 
he must do as seems to him for the best. The people of Baza 
have performed deeds worthy of immortal fame ; I cannot ask 
them to encounter further ills and perils, in maintaining a hope- 
less defence." 

The reply of El Zagal determined the fate of the city. Cid 
Hiaya and his fellow-commanders capitulated, and were granted 
'the most favorable terms. The cavaliers and soldiers who had 
come from other parts to the defence of the place, were permitted 
to depart with their arms, horses, and effects. The inhabitants 
had their choice, either to depart with their property, or dwell in 
the suburbs, in the enjoyment of their religion and laws, taking 
an oath of fealty to the sovereigns, and paying the same tribute 
they had paid to the Moorish kings. The city and citadel were 
to be delivered up in six days, within which period the inhabitants 
were to remove all their effects ; and in the mean time, they were 
to place, as hostages, fifteen Moorish youths, sons of the principal 
inhabitants, in the hands of the commander of Leon. When 
Cid Hiaya and the alcayde Mohammed came to deliver up the 
hostages, among whom were the sons of the latter, they paid 
homage to the king and queen, who received them with the ut- 
most courtesy and kindness, and ordered magnificent presents to 
be given to them, and likewise to the other Moorish cavaliers, 
consisting of money, robes, horses, and other things of great 
value. 



CONVERSION OF CID HIAYA. 433 



The prince Cid Hiaya was so captivated by the grace, the 
dignity, and generosity of Isabella, and the princely courtesy of 
Ferdinand, that he vowed never again to draw his sword against 
such magnanimous sovereigns. The queen, charmed with his 
gallant bearing and his animated professions of devotion, assured 
him, that, having him on her side, she already considered the war 
terminated which had desolated the kingdom of Granada. 

Mighty and irresistible are words of praise from the lips of 
sovereigns. Cid Hiaya was entirely subdued by this fair speech 
from the illustrious Isabella. His heart burned with a sudden 
flame of loyalty towards the sovereigns. He begged to be en- 
rolled amongst the most devoted of their subjects ; and, in the 
fervor of his sudden zeal, engaged not merely to dedicate his 
sword to their service, but to exert all his influence, which was 
great, in persuading his cousin, Muley Abdallah el Zagal, to sur- 
render the cities of Guadix and Almeria, and to give up all 
further hostilities. Nay, so powerful was the effect produced 
upon his mind by his conversation with the sovereigns, that it ex- 
tended even to his religion ; for he became immediately enlight- 
ened as to the heathenish abominations of the vile sect of Ma- 
homet, and struck with the truths of Christianity, as illustrated 
by such powerful monarchs. He consented, therefore, to be bap- 
tized, and to be gathered into the fold of the church. The pious 
Agapida indulges in a triumphant strain of exultation, on the 
sudden and surprising conversion of this princely infidel : he con- 
siders it one of the greatest achievements of the Catholic sove- 
reigns, and indeed one of the marvellous occurrences of this holy 
war : " But it is given to saints and pious monarchs," says he, " to 
work miracles in the cause of the faith ; and such did the most 
Catholic Ferdinand, in the conversion of the prince Cid Hiaya. 

Some of the Arabian writers have sought to lessen the wonder 
of this miracle, by alluding to great revenues granted to the 
19 



434 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



prince and his heirs by the Castilian monarchs, together with a 
territory in Marchena, with towns, lands, and vassals ; but in 
this (says Agapida) we only see a wise precaution of king Ferdi- 
nand, to clinch and secure the conversion of his proselyte. The 
policy of the Catholic monarch was at all times equal to his piety. 
Instead also of vaunting of this great conversion, and making a 
public parade of the entry of the prince into the church, king 
Ferdinand ordered that the baptism should be performed in pri- 
vate, and kept a profound secret. He feared that Cid Hiaya 
might otherwise be denounced as an apostate, and abhorred and 
abandoned by the Moors, and thus his influence destroyed in 
bringing the war to a speedy termination.* 

The veteran Mohammed Ibn Hassan was likewise won by the 
magnanimity and munificence of the Castilian sovereigns, and 
entreated to be received into their service ; and his example was 
followed by many other Moorish cavaliers, whose services were 
generously accepted and magnificently rewarded. 

Thus, after a siege of six months and twenty days, the city of 
Baza surrendered on the 4th of December, 1489 ; the festival of 
the glorious Santa Barbara, who is said, in the Catholic calendar, 
to preside over thunder and lightning, fire and gunpowder, and 
all kinds of combustious explosions. The king and queen made 
their solemn and triumphant entry on the following day ; and the 
public joy was heightened by the sight of upwards of five hun- 
dred Christian captives, men, women, and children, delivered 
from the Moorish dungeons. 

The loss of the Christians in this siege amounted to twenty 
thousand men, of whom seventeen thousand died of disease, and 
not a few of mere cold, — a kind of death (says the historian Ma- 
riana) peculiarly uncomfortable ; but (adds the venerable Jesuit) 



* Conde, torn. 3, cap. 40. 






POLITIC LIBERALITY. 435 



as these latter were chiefly people of ignoble rank, baggage-car- 
riers and such like, the loss was not of great importance. 

The surrender of Baza was followed by that of Almunecar, 
Tavernas, and most of the fortresses of the Alpuxarra mountains ; 
the inhabitants hoped, by prompt and voluntary submission, to 
secure equally favorable terms with those granted to the cap- 
tured city, and the alcaydes to receive similar rewards to those 
lavished on its commanders ; nor were either of them disappointed. 
The inhabitants were permitted to remain as Mudexares, in the 
quiet enjoyment of their property and religion ; and as to the al- 
caydes, when they came to the camp to render up their charges, 
they were received by Ferdinand with distinguished favor, and 
rewarded with presents of money in proportion to the importance 
of the places they had commanded. Care was taken by the poli- 
tic monarch, however, not to wound their pride nor shock their 
delicacy ; so these sums were paid under color of arrears due to 
them for their services to the former government. Ferdinand 
had conquered by dint of sword, in the earlier part of the war ; 
but he found gold as potent as steel, in this campaign of Baza. 

With several of these mercenary chieftains came one named 
Ali Aben Fahar, a seasoned warrior, who had held many import- 
ant commands. He was a Moor of a lofty, stern, and melancholy 
aspect, and stood silent and apart, while his companions surren- 
dered their several fortresses and retired laden with treasure. 
When it came to his turn to speak, he addressed the sovereigns 
with the frankness of a soldier, but with the tone of dejection 
and despair. 

" I am a Moor," said he, " and of Moorish lineage, and am al- 
cayde of the fair towns and castles of Purchena and Paterna. 
These were intrusted to me to defend ; but those who should 
have stood by me have lost all strength and courage, and seek 
only for security. These fortresses, therefore, most potent sove- 



436 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



reigns, are yours, whenever you will send to take possession of 
them." 

Large sums of gold were immediately ordered by Ferdinand 
to be delivered to the alcayde, as a recompense for so important 
a surrender. The Moor, however, put back the gift with a firm 
and dignified demeanor : " I came not," said he, " to sell what is 
not mine, but to yield what fortune has made yours ; and your 
majesties may rest assured that, had I been properly seconded, 
death would have been the price at which I would have sold my 
fortresses, and not the gold you offer me." 

The Castilian monarchs were struck with the lofty and loyal 
spirit of the Moor, and desired to engage a man of such fidelity 
in their service ; but the proud Moslem could not be induced to 
serve the enemies of his nation and his faith. 

" Is- there nothing, then," said queen Isabella, " that we can 
do to gratify thee, and to prove to thee our regard ?" " Yes," re- 
plied the Moor ; " I have left behind me, in the towns and val- 
leys which I have surrendered, many of my unhappy country- 
men, with their wives and children, who cannot tear themselves 
from their native abodes. Give me your royal word that they 
shall be protected in the peaceable enjoyment of their religion and 
their homes." " We promise it," said Isabella ; " they shall 
dwell in peace and security. But for thyself — what dost thou 
ask for thyself?" "Nothing," replied Ali, " but permission to 
pass unmolested, with my horses and effects, into Africa." 

The Castilian monarchs would fain have forced upon him gold 
and silver, and superb horses richly caparisoned, not as rewards, 
but as marks of personal esteem ; but Ali Aben Fahar declined 
all presents and distinctions, as if he thought it criminal to flour- 
ish individually during a time of public distress ; and disdained 
all prosperity, that seemed to grow out of the ruins of his 
country. 



A FALLEN PATRIOT. 437 



Having received a royal passport, lie gathered together his 
horses and servants, his armor and weapons, and all his warlike 
effects ; bade adieu to his weeping countrymen with a brow 
stamped with anguish, but without shedding a tear ; and, mount- 
ing his Barbary steed, turned his back upon the delightful val- 
leys of his conquered country, departing on his lonely way, to seek 
a soldier's fortune amidst the burning sands of Africa.* 



* Pulgar, Part. 3 cap. 124. Garibay, lib. 40, cap. 40. Cura de los 
Palacios. 



438 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXII. 

Submission of El Zagal to the Castilian Sovereigns. 

Evil tidings never fail by the way, through lack of messengers ; 
they are wafted on the wings of the wind, and it is as if the very 
birds of the air would bear them to the ear of the unfortunate. 
The old king El Zagal buried himself in the recesses of his castle, 
to hide himself from the light of day, which no longer shone pros- 
perously upon him ; but every hour brought missives thundering 
at the gate, with the tale of some new disaster. Fortress after 
fortress had laid its keys at the feet of the Christian sovereigns : 
strip by strip, of warrior mountain and green fruitful valley, was 
torn from his domains, and added to the territories of the con- 
querors. Scarcely a remnant remained to him, except a tract of 
the Alpuxarras, and the noble cities of G-uadix and Almeria. No 
one any longer stood in awe of the fierce old monarch ; the terror 
of his frown had declined with his power. He had arrived at that 
state of adversity, when a man's friends feel emboldened to tell 
him hard truths, and to give him unpalatable advice ; and when 
his spirit is bowed down to listen quietly, if not meekly. 

El Zagal was seated on his divan, his whole spirit absorbed 
in rumination on the transitory nature of human glory, when his 
kinsman and brother-in-law, the prince Cid Hiaya, was an- 
nounced. That illustrious convert to the true faith and the inte- 



SUBMISSION OF EL ZAGAL. 439 



rests of the conquerors of his country, had hastened to Guadix 
with all the fervor of a new proselyte, eager to prove his zeal in 
the service of Heaven and the Castilian sovereigns, by persuad- 
ing the old monarch to abjure his faith and surrender his posses- 
sions. 

Cid Hiaya still bore the guise of a Moslem, for his conversion 
was as yet a secret. The stern heart of El Zagal softened at be- 
holding the face of a kinsman, in this hour of adversity. He 
folded his cousin to his bosom, and gave thanks to Allah that 
amidst all his troubles he had still a friend and counsellor on 
whom he might rely. 

Cid Hiaya soon entered upon the real purpose of his mission. 
He represented to El Zagal the desperate state of affairs, and the 
irretrievable decline of Moorish power in the kingdom of Gra- 
nada. " Fate," said he, " is against our arms ; our ruin is written 
in the heavens. Remember the prediction of the astrologers, at 
the birth of your nephew Boabdil. We hoped that their predic- 
tion was accomplished by his capture at Lucena ; but it is now 
evident that the stars portended not a temporary and passing re- 
verse of the kingdom, but a final overthrow. The constant suc- 
cession of disasters which have attended our efforts, show that the 
sceptre of Granada is doomed to pass into the hands of the Chris- 
tian monarchs. Such," concluded the prince emphatically, and 
with a profound and pious reverence, " such is the almighty will 
of God !" 

El Zagal listened to these words in mute attention, without so 
much as moving a muscle of his face, or winking an eyelid. 
When the prince had concluded, he remained for a long time 
silent and pensive ; at length, heaving a profound sigh from the 
very bottom of his heart, " Alahuma subahana hu !" exclaimed 
he, " the will of God be done ! Yes, my cousin, it is but too evi- 
dent that such is the will of Allah ; and what he wills, he fails not 



440 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



to accomplish. Had he not decreed the fall of Granada, this arm 
and this scimetar would have maintained it."* 

" What then remains," said Cid Hiaya, " but to draw the most 
advantage from the wreck of empire left to you ? To persist in 
a war is to bring complete desolation upon the land, and ruin 
and death upon its faithful inhabitants. Are you disposed to 
yield up your remaining towns to your nephew El Chico, that 
they may augment his power, and derive protection from his al- 
liance with the Christian sovereigns ?" 

The eye of El Zagal flashed fire at this suggestion. He 
grasped the hilt of his scimetar, and gnashed his teeth in fury. 
" Never," cried he, " will I make terms with that recreant and 
slave ! Sooner would I see the banners of the Christian mo- 
narchs floating above my walls, than they should add to the pos- 
sessions of the vassal Boabdil !" 

Cid Hiaya immediately seized upon this idea, and urged El 
Zagal to make a frank and entire surrender : " Trust," said he, 
" to the magnanimity of the Castilian sovereigns ; they will doubt- 
less grant you high and honorable terms. It is better to yield to 
them as friends, what they must infallibly and before long wrest 
from you as enemies ; for such, my cousin, is the almighty will 
of God !" 

"Alahuma subahana hu !" repeated El Zagal, "the will of 
God be done !" So the old monarch bowed his haughty neck, 
and agreed to surrender his territories to the enemies of his faith, 
rather than suffer them to augment the Moslem power under the 
sway of his nephew. 

Cid Hiaya now returned to Baza, empowered by El Zagal to 
treat on his behalf with the Christian sovereigns. The prince 
felt a species of exultation, as he expatiated on the rich relics of 

* Conde, torn. 3, c. 40. 



CAPITULATION WITH EL ZAGAL. 441 



empire which he was authorized to cede. There was a great part 
of that line of mountains extending from the metropolis to the 
Mediterranean sea, with their series of beautiful green valleys, 
like precious emeralds set in a golden chain. Above all, there 
were Guadix and Almeria, two of the most inestimable jewels in 
the crown of Granada. 

In return for these possessions, and for the claim of El Zagal 
to the rest of the kingdom, the sovereigns received him into their 
friendship and alliance, and gave him in perpetual inheritance 
the territory of Andarax and the valley of Alhaurin in the Al- 
puxarras, with the fourth part of the salinas or salt-pits of Malaha. 
He was to enjoy the title of king of Andarax, with two thousand 
Mudexares, or conquered Moors, for subjects ; and his revenues 
were to be made up to the sum of four millions of marevedies. 
All these he was to hold as a vassal of the Castilian crown. 

These arrangements being made, Cid Hiaya returned with 
them to Muley Abdallah ; and it was concerted that the cere- 
mony of surrender and homage should take place at the city of 
Almeria. 

On the 17th of December king Ferdinand departed for that 
city. Cid Hiaya and his principal officers, incorporated with a 
division commanded by the count de Tendilla, marched in the 
van-guard. The king was with the centre of the army, and the 
queen with the rear-guard. In this martial state Ferdinand 
passed by several of the newly acquired towns, exulting in these 
trophies of his policy rather than his valor. In traversing the 
mountainous region, which extends towards the Mediterranean, 
the army suffered exceedingly from raging vandavales, or south- 
west gales, accompanied by snow-storms. Several of the soldiers, 
and many horses and beasts of burden, perished with the cold. 
One of the divisions under the marques of Cadiz, found it im- 
possible to traverse in one day the frozen summits of Filabres, 
19* 



442 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



and had to pass the night in those inclement regions. The mar- 
ques caused two immense fires to be kindled in the vicinity of 
his encampment to guide and enlighten those lost and wandering 
among the defiles, and to warm those who were benumbed and 
almost frozen. 

The king halted at Tabernas, to collect his scattered troops 
and give them time to breathe after the hardships of the moun- 
tains. The queen was travelling a day's march in the rear. 

On the 21st of December, the king arrived and encamped in 
the vicinity of Almeria. Understanding that El Zagal was 
sallying forth to pay him homage, according to appointment, he 
mounted on horseback and rode forth to receive him, attended by 
Don Alonzo de Cardenas, master of Santiago, on his right hand, 
and the marques of Cadiz on his left, and dispatched in the ad- 
vance Don Gutierrez de Cardenas, commander of Leon, and other 
cavaliers to meet and form an honorable escort to the Moorish 
monarch. With this escort went that curious eye-witness, Peter 
Martyr, from whom we have many of these particulars. 

El Zagal was accompanied by twelve cavaliers on horseback, 
among whom was his cousin, the prince Cid Hiaya (who had no 
doubt joined him from the Spanish camp) and the brave Reduan 
Vanegas. Peter Martyr declares that the appearance of El 
Zagal touched him with compassion, for though a " lawless bar- 
barian, he was a king and had given signal proofs of heroism. " 
The historian Palencia gives us a particular description of his 
appearance. He was, says he, of elevated stature and well 
proportioned, neither robust nor meagre ; the natural fairness 
of his countenance was increased by an extreme paleness which 
gave it a melancholy expression. His aspect was grave ; his 
movements were quiet, noble, and dignified. He was modestly at- 
tired in a garb of mourning, a sayo, or loose surcoat, of dark 



MEETING OF EL ZAGAL AND FERDINAND. 443 



cloth, a simple albornoz or Moorish mantle, and a turban of 
dazzling whiteness. 

On being met by the commander, Gutierrez de Cardenas, El 
Zagal saluted him courteously, as well as the cavaliers who 
accompanied him, and rode on, conversing with him through the 
medium of interpreters. Beholding king Ferdinand and his 
splendid train at a distance, he alighted and advanced towards 
him on foot. The punctilious Ferdinand, supposing this volun- 
tary act of humiliation had been imposed by Don Gutierrez, told 
that cavalier, with some asperity, that it was an act of great dis- 
courtesy to cause a vanquished king to alight before another 
king who was victorious. At the same time he made him signs to 
remount his horse and place himself by his side. El Zagal, per- 
sisting in his act of homage, offered to kiss the king's hand ; 
but being prevented by that monarch, he kissed his own hand, as 
the Moorish cavaliers were accustomed to do in presence of their 
sovereigns ; and accompanied the gesture by a few words ex- 
pressive of obedience and fealty. Ferdinand replied in a gra- 
cious and amiable manner; and causing him to remount and 
place himself on his left hand, they proceeded, followed by the 
whole train to the royal pavilion, pitched in the most conspicuous 
part of the camp. 

There a banquet was served up to the two kings, according to 
the rigorous style and etiquette of the Spanish court. They 
were seated in two chairs of state under the same canopy, El 
Zagal on the left hand of Ferdinand. The cavaliers and cour- 
tiers admitted to the royal pavilion remained standing. The 
count de Tendilla served the viands to king Ferdinand in golden 
dishes, and the count Cifuentes gave him to drink out of cups of 
the same precious metal ; Don Alvaro Bazan and Garcilaso de la 
Vega performed the same offices in similar style and with vessels 
of equal richness, to the Moorish monarch. 



444 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The banquet ended, El Zagal took courteous leave of Ferdi- 
nand, and sallied from the pavilion attended by the cavaliers 
who had been present. Each of these now made himself known 
to the old monarch by his name, title, or dignity, and each re- 
ceived an affable gesture in reply. They would all have escorted 
the old king back to the gates of Almeria, but he insisted on 
their remaining in the camp, and with difficulty could be per- 
suaded upon to accept the honorable attendance of the marques 
of Villena, the commander, Don Gutierrez de Cardenas, the count 
de Cifuentes, and Don Luis Puertocarrero. 

On the following morning (22d December), the troops were 
all drawn out in splendid array in front of the camp, awaiting 
the signal of the formal surrender of the city. This was given 
at mid-day, when the gates were thrown open and a corps marched 
in, led by Don Gutierrez de Cardenas, who had been appointed 
governor. In a little while the gleam of Christian warriors was 
seen on the walls and bulwarks ; the blessed cross was planted in 
place of the standard of Mahomet, and the banner of the sove- 
reigns floated triumphantly above the Alcazar. At the same 
time a numerous deputation of alfaquis and the noblest and 
wealthiest inhabitants of the place sallied forth to pay homage to 
king Ferdinand. 

On the 23d of December, the king himself entered the city 
with grand military and religious pomp, and repaired to the 
mosque of the castle, which had previously been purified and 
sanctified and converted into a Christian temple ; here grand 
mass was performed in solemn celebration of this great triumph 
of the faith. 

These ceremonies were scarcely completed, when joyful notice 
was given of the approach of the queen Isabella, with the rear- 
guard of the army. She came accompanied by the princess 
Isabella, and attended by her ghostly counsellor the cardinal 



SURRENDER OF FORTIFIED PLACES. 445 



Mendoza, and her confessor Talavera. The king sallied forth to 
meet her, accompanied by El Zagal, and it is said the reception 
of the latter by the queen was characterized by that deference 
and considerate delicacy which belonged to her magnanimous 
nature. 

The surrender of Almeria was followed by that of Almune- 
car, Salobrina, and other fortified places, of the coast and the 
interior, and detachments of Christian troops took quiet posses- 
sion of the Alpuxarra mountains and their secluded and fertile 
valleys.* 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 93, 94. Pulgar, Cron., part 3, cap. 124. 
Garibay, comp. Hist., lib. 18, cap. 37, &c., &c. 



446 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXIII. 

Events at Granada, subsequent to the submission of El Zagal. 

Who can tell when to rejoice, in this fluctuating world ? Every 
wave of prosperity has its reacting surge, and we are often over- 
whelmed by the very billow on which we thought to be wafted 
into the haven of our hopes. When Yusef Aben Commixa, tho 
vizier of Boabdil, surnamed El Chico, entered the royal saloon of 
the Alhambra and announced the capitulation of El Zagal, the 
heart of the youthful monarch leaped for joy. His great wish 
was accomplished ; his uncle was defeated and dethroned, and he 
reigned without a rival, sole monarch of Granada. At length, he 
was about to enjoy the fruits of his humiliation and vassalage. 
He beheld his throne fortified by the friendship and alliance of 
the Castilian monarchs ; there could be no question, therefore, of 
its stability. " Allah Achbar ! God is great !" exclaimed he ; 
"Rejoice with me, oh Yusef ; the stars have ceased their perse- 
cution. Henceforth let no man call me El Zogoybi." 

In the first moment of his exultation, Boabdil would have 
ordered public rejoicings ; but the shrewd Yusef shook his head. 
" The tempest has ceased, from one point of the heavens," said 
he, " but it may begin to rage from another. A troubled sea 
is beneath us, and we are surrounded by rocks and quicksands : 
let my lord the king defer rejoicings, until all has settled into a 
calm." El Chico, however, could not remain tranquil in this 



POPULAR FURY IN GRANADA. 447 



day of exultation : he ordered his steed to be sumptuously ca- 
parisoned, and issuing out of the gate of the Alhambra, descend- 
ed, with glittering retinue, along the avenue of trees and foun- 
tains, into the city, to receive the acclamations of the populace. 
As he entered the great square of the Vivarrambla, he beheld 
crowds of people in violent agitation ; but, as he approached, 
what was his surprise, to hear groans and murmurs and bursts of 
execration ! The tidings had spread through Granada, that 
Muley Abdallah El Zagal had been driven to capitulate, and that 
all his territories had fallen into the hands of the Christians. 
No one had inquired into the particulars, but all Granada had 
been thrown into a ferment of grief and indignation. In the 
heat of the moment, old Muley was extolled to the skies as a 
patriot prince, who had fought to the last for the salvation of his 
country — as a mirror of monarchs, scorning to compromise the 
dignity of his crown by any act of vassalage. Boabdil, on the 
contrary, had looked on exultingly at the hopeless yet heroic 
struggle of his uncle ; he had rejoiced in the defeat of the faith- 
ful, and the triumph of unbelievers ; he had aided in the dis- 
memberment and downfall of the empire. When they beheld 
him riding forth in gorgeous state, on what they considered a day 
of humiliation for all true Moslems, they could not contain their 
rage ; and amidst the clamors that met his ears, Boabdil more 
than once heard his name coupled with the epithets of traitor 
and renegado. 

Shocked and discomfited, the youthful monarch returned in 
confusion to the Alhambra ; shut himself up within its innermost 
courts, and remained a kind of voluntary prisoner until the first 
burst of popular feeling should subside. He trusted that it 
would soon pass away ; that the people would be too sensible of 
the sweets of peace, to repine at the price at which it was ob- 
tained ; at any rate, he trusted to the strong friendship of the 



!448 CpNQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Christian sovereigns, to secure him even against the factions of 
his subjects. 

The first missives from the politic Ferdinand showed Boabdil 
the value of his friendship. The Christian monarch reminded 
him of a treaty which he had made when captured in the city of 
Loxa. By this, he had engaged, that, in case the Catholic sove- 
reigns should capture the cities of Guadix, Baza, and Almeria, 
he would surrender Granada into their hands within a limited 
time, and accept in exchange certain Moorish towns, to be held 
by him as their vassal. Guadix, Baza, and Almeria, had now 
fallen ; Ferdinand called upon him, therefore, to fulfil his engage- 
ment. 

If the unfortunate Boabdil had possessed the will, he had not 
the power to comply with this demand. He was shut up in the 
Alhambra, while a tempest of popular fury raged without. Gra- 
nada was thronged by refugees from the captured towns, many of 
them disbanded soldiers, and others broken-down citizens, render- 
ed fierce and desperate by ruin. All railed at him, as the real 
cause of their misfortunes. How was he to venture forth in such 
a storm ? — above all, how was he to talk to such men of surren- 
der % In his reply to Ferdinand, he represented the difficulties 
of his situation, and that, so far from having control over his 
subjects, his very life was in danger from their turbulence. He 
entreated the king, therefore, to rest satisfied for the present with 
his recent conquests, promising that should he be able to regain 
full empire over his capital and its inhabitants, it would be but 
to rule over them as vassal to the Castilian crown. 

Ferdinand was not to be satisfied with such a reply. The 
time was come to bring his game of policy to a close, and to con- 
summate his conquest, by seating himself on the throne of the 
Alhambra. Professing to consider Boabdil as a faithless ally, 
who had broken his plighted word, he discarded him from his 



MUZA ABUL GAZAM. 449 



friendship, and addressed a second letter, not to him, but to the 
commanders and council of the city. He demanded a complete 
surrender of the place, with all jbhe arms in the possession either 
of the citizens or of others who had recently taken refuge within 
its walls. If the inhabitants should comply with this summons, 
he promised them the indulgent terms granted to Baza, Guadix, 
and Almeria ; if they should refuse, he threatened them with the 
fate of Malaga.* , 

This message produced the greatest commotion in the city. 
The inhabitants of the Alcaiceria, that busy hive of traffic, and 
all others who had tasted the sweets of gainful commerce during 
the late cessation of hostilities, were for securing their golden ad- 
vantages by timely submission : others, who had wives and chil- 
dren, looked on them with tenderness and solicitude, and dreaded, 
by resistance, to bring upon them the horrors of slavery. 

On the other hand, Granada was crowded with men from all 
parts, ruined by the war, exasperated by their sufferings, and 
eager only for revenge ; with others, who had been reared amidst 
hostilities, who had lived by the sword, and whom a return of 
peace would leave without home or hope. Besides these, there 
were others no less fiery and warlike in disposition, but animated 
by a loftier spirit. These were valiant and haughty cavaliers of 
the old chivalrous lineages, who had inherited a deadly hatred to 
the Christians from a long line of warrior ancestors, and to whom 
the idea was worse than death, that Granada, illustrious Granada ! 
for ages the seat of Moorish grandeur and delight, should become 
the abode of unbelievers. 

Among these cavaliers, the most eminent was Muza Abul 
Gazan. He was of royal lineage, of a proud and generous na- 
ture, and a form combining manly strength and beauty. None 
could excel him in the management of the horse, and dexterous 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 96. 



450 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



use of all kinds of weapons : his gracefulness and skill in the 
tourney were the theme of praise among the Moorish dames, and 
his prowess in the field had made him the terror of the enemy. 
He had long repined at the timid policy of Boabdil, and endea- 
vored to counteract its enervating effects, and keep alive the 
martial spirit of Granada. For this reason, he had promoted 
jousts and tiltings with the reed, and all those other public games 
which bear the semblance of war. He endeavored also to incul- 
cate into his companions in arms those high chivalrous sentiments 
which lead to valiant and magnanimous deeds, but which are apt 
to decline with the independence of a nation. The generous 
efforts of Muza had been in a great measure successful: he was 
the idol of the youthful cavaliers ; they regarded him as a mirror 
of chivalry, and endeavored to imitate his lofty and heroic virtues. 

When Muza heard the demand of Ferdinand that they should 
deliver up their arms, his eye flashed fire : " Does the Christian 
king think that we are old men," said he, " and that staffs will 
suffice us ? — or that we are women, and can be contented with dis- 
taffs ? Let him know that a Moor is born to the spear and scim- 
etar ; to career the steed, bend the bow, and launch the javelin : 
deprive him of these, and you deprive him of his nature. If 
the Christian king desires our arms, let him come and win them ; 
but let him win them dearly. For my part, sweeter were a grave 
beneath the walls of Granada, on the spot I had died to defend, 
than the richest couch within her palaces, earned by submission 
to the unbeliever." 

The words of Muza were received with enthusiastic shouts, 
by the warlike part of the populace. Granada once more awoke, 
as a warrior shaking off a disgraceful lethargy. The commanders 
and council partook of the public excitement, and dispatched a 
reply to the Christian sovereigns, declaring that they would suffer 
death rather than surrender their city. 



THE CITY OF GRANADA. 451 



CHAPTER LXXXIV. 

How King Ferdinand turned his hostilities against the city of Granada. 

When king Ferdinand received the defiance of the Moors, he 
made preparations for bitter hostilities. The winter season did 
not admit of an immediate campaign ; he contented himself. 
therefore, with throwing strong garrisons into all his towns and 
fortresses in the neighborhood of Granada, and gave the com- 
mand of all the frontier of Jaen to Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, 
count of Tendilla, who had shown such consummate vigilance 
and address in maintaining the dangerous post of Alhama. This 
renowned veteran established his head-quarters in the mountain 
city of Alcala la Real, within eight leagues of the city of Gra- 
nada, and commanding the most important passes of that rugged 
frontier. 

In the mean time, Granada resounded with the stir of war. 
The chivalry of the nation had again control of its councils : and 
the populace, having once more resumed their weapons, were anx- 
ious to wipe out the disgrace of their late passive submission, by 
signal and daring exploits. 

Muza Abul Gazan was the soul of action. He commanded 
the cavalry, which he had disciplined with uncommon skill : he 
was surrounded by the noblest youth of Granada, who had caught 
his own generous and martial fire, and panted for the field : while 
the common soldiers, devoted to his person, were ready to follow 



452 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



him in the most desperate enterprises. He did not allow their 
courage to cool for want of action. The gates of G-ranada once 
more poured forth legions of light scouring cavalry, which skirred 
the country up to the very gates of the Christian fortresses, 
sweeping off flocks and herds. The name of Muza became form- 
idable throughout the frontier ; he had many encounters with the 
enemy in the rough passes of the mountains, in which the supe- 
rior lightness and dexterity of his cavalry gave him the advan- 
tage. The sight of his glistening legion, returning across the 
vega with long cavalgadas of booty, was hailed by the Moors as a 
revival of their ancient triumphs ; but when they beheld Chris- 
tian banners borne into their gates as trophies, the exultation of 
the light-minded populace was beyond all bounds. 

The winter passed away ; the spring advanced, yet Ferdinand 
delayed to take the field. He knew the city of G-ranada too 
strong and populous to be taken by assault, and too full of provi- 
sions to be speedily reduced by siege. " We must have patience 
and perseverance," said the politic monarch ; " by ravaging the 
country this year, we shall produce a scarcity the next, and then 
the city may be invested with effect." 

An interval of peace, aided by the quick vegetation of a pro- 
lific soil and happy climate, had restored the vega to all its luxu- 
riance and beauty ; the green pastures on the borders of the 
Xenel were covered with flocks and herds ; the blooming orchards 
gave promise of abundant fruit, and the open plain was waving 
with ripening corn. The time was at hand to put in the sickle 
and reap the golden harvest, when suddenly a torrent of war 
came sweeping down from the mountains ; and Ferdinand, with 
an army of five thousand horse and twenty thousand foot, ap- 
peared before the walls of Granada. He had left the queen and 
princess at the fortress of Moclin, and came attended by the 
duke of Medina Sidonia, the marques of Cadiz, the marques de 



PRINCE JUAN KNIGHTED. 453 



Villena, the counts of Urena and Cabra, Don Alonzo de Aguilar, 
and other renowned cavaliers. On this occasion, he for the first 
time led his son prince Juan into the field, and bestowed upon 
him the dignity of knighthood. As if to stimulate him to grand 
achievements, the ceremony took place on the banks of the grand 
canal, almost beneath the embattled walls of that warlike city, 
the object of such daring enterprises, and in the midst of that 
famous vega, the field of so many chivalrous exploits. Above 
them shone resplendent the red towers of the Alhambra, rising 
from amidst delicious groves, with the standard of Mahomet wav- 
ing defiance to the Christian arms. 

The duke of Medina Sidonia, and Roderigo Ponce de Leon, 
marques of Cadiz, were sponsors ; and all the chivalry of the 
camp was assembled on the occasion. The prince, after he was 
knighted, bestowed the same honor on several youthful cavaliers 
of high rank, just entering, like himself, on the career of arms. 

Ferdinand did not loiter, in carrying his desolating plans into 
execution. He detached parties in every direction, to lay waste 
the country ; villages were sacked, burnt, and destroyed, and the 
lovely vega was once more laid waste with fire and sword. The 
ravage was carried so close to Granada, that the city was wrapped 
in the smoke of its gardens and hamlets. The dismal cloud 
rolled up the hill and hung about the towers of the Alhambra, 
where the unfortunate Boabdil still remained shut up from the 
indignation of his subjects. The hapless monarch smote his 
breast, as he looked down from his mountain palace on the deso- 
lation effected by his late ally. He dared not even show himself 
in arms among the populace, for they cursed him as the cause of 
the miseries once more brought to their doors. 

The Moors, however, did not suffer the Christians to carry on 
their ravages unmolested as in former years. Muza incited them 
to incessant sallies. He divided his cavalry into small squad- 



454 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



rons, each led by a daring commander. They were taught to 
hover round the Christian camp ; to harass it from various and 
opposite quarters, cutting off convoys and straggling detachments ; 
to waylay the army in its ravaging expeditions, lurking among 
rocks and passes of the mountains, or in hollows and thickets of 
the plain, and practising a thousand stratagems and surprises. 

The Christian army had one day spread itself out rather un- 
guardedly, in its foraging about the vega. As the troops com- 
manded by the marques of Villena approached the skirts of the 
mountains, they beheld a number of Moorish peasants hastily 
driving a herd of cattle into a narrow glen. The soldiers, eager 
for booty, pressed in pursuit of them. Scarcely had they entered 
the glen, when shouts arose from every side, and they were fu- 
riously attacked by an ambuscade of horse and foot. Some of 
the Christians took to flight ; others stood their ground, and 
fought valiantly. The Moors had the vantage-ground; some 
showered darts and arrows from the cliffs of the rocks, others 
fought hand to hand on the plain ; while their cavalry carried 
havoc and confusion into the midst of the Christian forces. 

The marques de Villena, with his brother Don Alonzo de 
Pacheco, at the first onset of the Moors, spurred into the hottest 
of the fight. They had scarce entered, when Don Alonzo was 
struck lifeless from his horse, before the eyes of his brother. Es- 
tevan Luzon, a gallant captain, fell fighting bravely by the side 
of the marques, who remained, with his chamberlain Soler and a 
handful of knights, surrounded by the enemy. Several cavaliers 
from other parts of the army hastened to their assistance, when 
king Ferdinand, seeing that the Moors had the vantage-ground, 
and that the Christians were suffering severely, gave signal for 
retreat. The marques obeyed slowly and reluctantly, for his 
heart was full of grief and rage at the death of his brother. As 
he was retiring, he beheld his faithful chamberlain Soler defend- 






MUZA'S AMBUSCADES. 455 



ing himself valiantly against six Moors. The marques turned, 
and rushed to his rescue ; he killed two of the enemy with his 
own hand, and put the rest to flight. One of the Moors, how- 
ever, in retreating, rose in his stirrups, and hurling his lance at 
the marques, wounded him in the right arm and crippled him 
for life.* 

Such was one of the many ambuscadoes concerted by Muza ; 
nor did he hesitate at times to present a bold front to the Chris- 
tian forces, and defy them in the open field. Ferdinand soon 
perceived, however, that the Moors seldom provoked a battle 
without having the advantage of the ground ; and that though 
the Christians generally appeared to have the victory, they suf- 
fered the greatest loss ; for retreating was a part of the Moorish 
system, by which they would draw their pursuers into confusion, 
and then turn upon them with a more violent and fatal attack. 
He commanded his captains, therefore, to decline all challenges 
to skirmish, and pursue a secure system of destruction, ravaging 
the country, and doing all possible injury to the enemy, with 
slight risk to themselves. 

* In consequence of this wound, the marques was ever after obliged to 
write his signature with his left hand, though capable of managing his lance 
with his right. The queen one day demanded of him, why he had adven- 
tured his life for that of a domestic 1 " Does not your majesty think," re- 
plied he, " that I ought to risk one life for him who would have adventured 
three for me had he possessed them ]" The queen was charmed with the 
magnanimity of the reply, and often quoted the marques as setting an he- 
roic example to the chivalry of the age. — Mariana, lib. 25, c. 15. 



456 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXV. 

The fate of the Castle of Roma. 

About two leagues from Granada, on an eminence commanding 
an extensive view of the vega, stood the strong Moorish castle of 
Roma. Hither the neighboring peasantry drove their flocks and 
herds, and hurried with their most precious effects, on the irrup- 
tion of a Christian force ; and any foraging or skirmishing party 
from Granada, on being intercepted in their return, threw them- 
selves into Roma, manned its embattled towers, and set the 
enemy at defiance. The garrison were accustomed to have 
parties of Moors clattering up to their gates, so hotly pursued 
that there was barely time to throw open the portal, receive them 
within, and shut out their pursuers ; while the Christian cava- 
liers had many a time reined up their panting steeds, at the very 
entrance of the barbacan, and retired, cursing the strong walls of 
Roma, that robbed them of their prey. 

The late ravages of Ferdinand, and the continual skirmishings 
in the vega, had roused the vigilance of the castle. One morning 
early, as the sentinels kept watch upon the battlements, they be- 
held a cloud of dust advancing rapidly from a distance : turbans 
and Moorish weapons soon caught their eyes: and as the whole 
approached, they descried a drove of cattle, urged on in great 
haste, and convoyed by one hundred and fifty Moors, who led 
with them two Christian captives in chains. 






FATE OF ROMA. 457 



When the cavalgada arrived near the castle, a Moorish cava- 
lier, of noble and commanding mien and splendid attire, rode up 
to the foot of the tower, and entreated admittance. He stated 
that they were returning with rich booty from a foray into the 
lands of the Christians, but that the enemy was on their traces, 
and they feared to be overtaken before they could reach Granada. 
The sentinels descended in all haste, and flung open the gates. 
The long cavalgada defiled into the courts of the castle, which 
were soon filled with bleating and lowing flocks and herds, with 
neighing and stamping steeds, and with fierce-looking Moors from 
the mountains. The cavalier who had asked admission was the 
chief of the party ; he was somewhat advanced in life, of a lofty 
and gallant bearing, and had with him a son, a young man of 
great spirit and fire. Close by them followed the two Christian 
captives, with looks cast down and disconsolate. 

The soldiers of the garrison had roused themselves from their 
sleep, and were busily occupied attending to the cattle which 
crowded the courts ; while the foraging party distributed them- 
selves about the castle, to seek refreshment or repose. Suddenly 
a shout arose, that was echoed from courtyard, and hall, and bat- 
tlement. The garrison, astonished and bewildered, would have 
rushed to their arms, but found themselves, almost before they 
could make resistance, completely in the power of an enemy. 

The pretended foraging party consisted of Mudexares, or 
Moors tributary to the Christians ; and the commanders were 
the prince Cid Hiaya, and his son Alnayer. They had hastened 
from the mountains with this small force, to aid the Catholic 
sovereigns during the summer's campaign ; and had concerted to 
surprise, this important castle, and present it to king Ferdinand, 
as a gage of their faith, and the first fruits of their devotion. 

The politic monarch overwhelmed his new converts and allies 
with favors and distinctions, in return for this important acqui- 
20 



458 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



sition ; but he took care to dispatch a strong force of veteran and 
genuine Christian troops, to man the fortress. 

As to the Moors who had composed the garrison, Cid Hiaya 
remembered that they were his countrymen, and could not pre- 
vail upon himself to deliver them into Christian bondage. He 
set them at liberty, and permitted them to repair to Granada ; — 
" a proof," says the pious Agapida, " that his conversion was not 
entirely consummated, but that there were still some lingerings 
of the infidel in his heart." His lenity was far from procuring 
him indulgence in the opinions of his countrymen ; on the con- 
trary, the inhabitants of Granada, when they learnt from the 
liberated garrison the stratagem by which Roma had been cap- 
tured, cursed Cid Hiaya for a traitor ; and the garrison joined in 
the malediction.* 

But the indignation of the people of Granada was destined 
to be roused to tenfold violence. The old warrior Muley Abdal- 
lah el Zagal had retired to his little mountain territory, and for a 
short time endeavored to console himself with his petty title of 
king of Andarax. He soon grew impatient, however, of the 
quiet and inaction of his mimic kingdom. His fierce spirit was 
exasperated by being shut up within such narrow limits, and his 
hatred rose to downright fury against Boabdil, whom he con- 
sidered as the cause of his downfall. When tidings were brought 
him that king Ferdinand was laying waste the vega, he took a 
sudden resolution. Assembling the whole disposable force of his 
kingdom, which amounted but to two hundred men, he descended 
from the Alpuxarras and sought the Christian camp, content to 
serve as a vassal the enemy of his faith and his nation, so that 
he might see Granada wrested from the sway of his nephew. 

In his blind passion, the old wrathful monarch injured his 

* Pulgar, Cron. part 3, cap. 130. Cura de los Palacios, cap. 90. 



REACTION IN FAVOR OF BOABDIL. 459 



cause, and strengthened the cause of his adversary. The Moors 
of Granada had been clamorous in his praise, extolling him as a 
victim to his patriotism, and had refused to believe all reports of 
his treaty with the Christians ; but when they beheld, from the 
walls of the city, his banner mingling with the banners of the 
unbelievers, and arrayed against his late people, and the capital 
he had commanded, they broke forth into revilings, and heaped 
curses upon his name. 

Their next emotion, of course, was in favor of Boabdil. They 
gathered under the walls of the Alhambra, and hailed him as 
their only hope, as the sole dependence of the country. Boabdil 
could scarcely believe his senses, when he heard his name mingled 
with praises and greeted with acclamations. Encouraged by this 
unexpected gleam of popularity, he ventured forth from his re- 
treat, and was received with rapture. All his past errors were 
attributed to the hardships of his fortune, and the usurpation of 
his tyrant uncle ; and whatever breath the populace could spare 
from uttering curses on El Zagal, was expended in shouts in 
honor of El Chico. 



460 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXVI. 

How Boabdil el Chico took the field ; and his expedition against Alhendin. 

For thirty days, had the vega been overrun by the Christian 
forces ; and that vast plain, late so luxuriant and beautiful, was 
one wide scene of desolation. The destroying army, having 
accomplished its task, passed over the bridge of Pinos and wound 
up into the mountains, on the way to Cordova, bearing away the 
spoils of towns and villages, and driving off flocks and herds in 
long dusty columns. The sound of the last Christian trumpet 
died away along the side of the mountain of Elvira, and not a 
hostile squadron was seen glistening on the mournful fields of 
the vega. 

The eyes of Boabdil el Chico were at length opened to the 
real policy of king Ferdinand, and he saw that he had no longer 
any thing to depend upon but the valor of his arm. No time 
was to be lost in hastening to counteract the effect of the late 
Christian ravage, and in opening the channel for distant supplies 
to Granada. 

Scarcely had the retiring squadrons of Ferdinand disap- 
peared among the mountains, when Boabdil buckled on his armor, 
sallied forth from the Alhambra, and prepared to take the field. 
When the populace beheld him actually in arms against his late 
ally, both parties thronged with zeal to his standard. The 



BOABDIL TAKES THE FIELD. 461 



hardy inhabitants also of the Sierra Nevada, or chain of snow- 
capped mountains which rise above Granada, descended from 
their heights, and hastened into the city gates, to proffer 
their devotion to their youthful king. The great square of 
the Vivarrambla shone with legions of cavalry, decked with 
the colors and devices of the most ancient Moorish families, 
and marshalled forth by the patriot Muza to follow the king to 
battle. 

It was on the 15th of June, that Boabdil once more issued 
forth from the gates of Granada on martial enterprise. A few 
leagues from the city, within full view of it, and at the entrance 
of the Alpuxarra mountains, stood the powerful castle of Al- 
hendin. It was built on an eminence, rising from the midst of a 
small town, and commanding a great part of the vega, and the 
main road to the rich valleys of the Alpuxarras. The castle 
was commanded by a valiant Christian cavalier named Mendo de 
Quexada, and garrisoned by two hundred and fifty men, all 
seasoned and experienced warriors. It was a continual thorn in 
the side of Granada: the laborers of the vega were swept off 
from their fields, by its hardy soldiers ; convoys were cut off, in 
the passes of the mountains ; and as the garrison commanded a 
full view of the gates of the city, no band of merchants could 
venture forth on their needful journeys, without being swooped 
up by the war-hawks of Alhendin. 

It was against this important fortress that Boabdil first led 
his troops, and for six days and nights it was closely besieged. 
The alcayde and his veteran garrison defended- themselves val- 
antly, but were exhausted by fatigue and constant watchfulness ; 
for the Moors, being continually relieved by fresh troops from 
Granada, kept up an unremitted and vigorous attack. Twice the 
barbacan was forced, and twice the assailants were drived forth 
headlong with excessive loss. The garrison, however, was dimin- 



462 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



ished in number by the killed and wounded ; there were no 
longer soldiers sufficient to man the walls and gateway ; and the 
brave alcayde was compelled to retire, with his surviving force, 
to the keep of the castle, in which he continued t o make a des- 
perate resistance. 

The Moors now approached the foot of the tower, under 
shelter of wooden screens covered with wet hides, to ward off 
missiles and combustibles. They went to work vigorously to 
undermine the tower, placing props of wood under the founda- 
tions, to be afterwards set on fire, so as to give the besiegers time 
to escape before the edifice should fall. Some of the Moors plied 
their cross-bows and arquebusses to defend the workmen, and 
drive the Christians from the walls ; while the latter showered 
down stones, and darts, and melted pitch, and flaming combus- 
tibles, on the miners. 

The brave Mendo de Quexada had cast many an anxious eye 
across the vega, in hopes of seeing some Christian force hastening 
to his assistance. Not a gleam of spear or helm was to be des- 
cried, for no one had dreamt of this sudden irruption of the 
Moors. The alcayde beheld his bravest men dead or wounded 
around him, while the remainder were sinking with watchfulness 
and fatigue. In defiance of all opposition, the Moors had accom- 
plished their mine ; the fire was brought before the walls, that 
was to be applied to the stanchions, in case the garrison persisted 
in defence. In a little while, the tower would crumble beneath 
him, and be rent and hurled a ruin to the plain. At the very 
last moment, the brave alcayde made the signal of surrender. 
He marched forth with the remnant of his veteran garrison, who 
were all made prisoners. Boabdil immediately ordered the walls 
of the fortress to be razed, and fire to be applied to the stan- 
chions, that the place might never again become a stronghold to 
the Christians, and a scourge to Granada. The alcayde and his 



CASTLE OF ALHENDIN DESTROYED. 463 



fellow-captives were led in dejected convoy across the vega, when 
they heard a tremendous crash behind them. They turned to 
look upon their late fortress, but beheld nothing but a heap of 
tumbling ruins, and a vast column of smoke and dust, where 
once had stood the lofty tower of Alhendin. 



464 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXVIL 

Exploit of the Count de Tendilla. 

Boabdil el Chico followed up his success, by capturing the two 
fortresses of Marchena and Albolodny, belonging to Cid Hiaya ; 
he also sent his alfaquis in every direction, to proclaim a holy 
war, and to summon all true Moslems of town or castle, moun- 
tain or valley, to saddle steed and buckle on armor, and hasten 
to the standard of the faith. The tidings spread far and wide, 
that Boabdil el Chico was once more in the field, and was vic- 
torious. The Moors of various places, dazzled by this gleam of 
success, hastened to throw off their sworn allegiance to the Cas- 
tilian crown, and to elevate the standard of Boabdil ; and the 
youthful monarch flattered himself that the whole kingdom was 
on the point of returning to its allegiance. 

The fiery cavaliers of Granada, eager to renew those forays into 
the Christian lands, in which they had formerly delighted, concerted 
an irruption to the north, into the territory of Jaen, to harass the 
country about Quezada. They had heard of a rich convoy of mer- 
chants and wealthy travellers, on the way to the city of Baza ; and 
anticipated a glorious conclusion to their foray, in capturing this 
convoy. 

Assembling a number of horsemen, lightly armed and fleetly 
mounted, and one hundred foot-soldiers, they issued forth by 
night from Granada, made their way in silence through the de- 
files of the mountains, crossed the frontier without opposition, 



TENDILLA'S EXPLOIT. 465 



and suddenly appeared, as if fallen from the clouds, in the very- 
heart of the Christian country. 

The mountainous frontier which separates Granada from Jaen 
was at this time under the command of the count de Tendilla, 
the same veteran who had distinguished himself by his vigilance 
and sagacity when commanding the fortress of Alhama. He 
held his head-quarters at the city of Alcala la Real, in its im- 
pregnable fortress, perched high among the mountains, about six 
leagues from Granada, and dominating all the frontier. From 
this cloud-clapt hold, he kept an eagle eye upon Granada, and 
had his scouts and spies in all directions, so that a crow could not 
fly over the border without his knowledge. His fortress was a 
place of refuge for the Christian captives who escaped by night 
from the Moorish dungeons of Granada. Often, however, they 
missed their way in the defiles of the mountains, and, wandering 
about bewildered, either repaired by mistake to some Moorish 
town, or were discovered and retaken at daylight by the enemy. 
To prevent these accidents, the count had a tower built at his own 
expense, on the top of one of the heights near Alcala, which com- 
manded a view of the vega and the surrounding country. Here 
he kept a light blazing throughout the night, as a beacon for all 
Christian fugitives, to guide them to a place of safety. 

The count was aroused one night from his repose, by shouts and 
cries, which came up from the town and approached the castle walls. 
" To arms ! to arms ! the Moor is over the border !" was the cry. 
A Christian soldier, pale and emaciated, who still bore traces of 
Moorish chains, was brought before the count. He had been taken 
as guide by the Moorish cavaliers who had sallied from Granada, 
but had escaped from them among the mountains, and, after much 
wandering, had found his way to Alcala by the signal-fire. 

Notwithstanding the bustle and agitation of the moment, the 
count de Tendilla listened calmly and attentively to the account 
20* 



466 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



of the fugitive, and questioned him minutely as to the time of 
departure of the Moors, and the rapidity and direction of their 
march. He saw that it was too late to prevent their incursion 
and ravage ; but he determined to await them, and give them a 
warm reception on their return. His soldiers were always on the 
alert, and ready to take the field at a moment's warning. Choos- 
ing one hundred and fifty lances, hardy and valiant men, well 
disciplined and well seasoned, as indeed were all his troops, 
he issued forth quietly before break of day, and, descending 
through the defiles of the mountains, stationed his little force in 
ambush, in a deep barranca, or dry channel of a torrent, near 
Barzina, but three leagues from Granada, on the road by which 
the marauders would have to return. In the mean time, he sent 
out scouts, to post themselves upon different heights, and look 
out for the approach of the enemy. 

All day they remained concealed in the ravine, and for a great 
part of the following night ; not a Moor, however, was to be 
seen, excepting now and then a peasant returning from his labor, 
or a solitary muleteer hastening towards Granada. The cavaliers 
of the count began to grow restless and impatient ; fearing that 
the enemy might have taken some other route, or might have re- 
ceived intelligence of their ambuscade. They urged the count 
to abandon the enterprise, and return to Alcala. " We are here/' 
said they, " almost at the gates of the Moorish capital, our move- 
ments may have been descried, and, before we are aware, Gra- 
nada may pour forth its legions of swift cavalry, and crush us 
with an overwhelming force." The count, however, persisted in 
remaining until his scouts should come in. About two hours 
before daybreak, there were signal-fires on certain Moorish watch- 
towers of the mountains. While they were regarding these with 
anxiety, the scouts came hurrying into the ravine : ; - The Moors 
are approaching," said they ; " we have reconnoitred them near 






EXPLOIT OF THE COUNT DE TENDILLA. 467 



at hand. They are between one and two hundred strong, but en- 
cumbered with many prisoners and much booty." The Christian 
cavaliers laid their ears to the ground, and heard the distant 
tramp of horses and the tread of foot-soldiers. They mounted 
their horses, braced their shields, couched their lances, and drew 
near to the entrance of the ravine where it opened upon the road. 

The Moors had succeeded in waylaying and surprising the 
Christian convoy, on its way to Baza. They had captured a great 
number of prisoners, male and female, with great store of gold 
and jewels, and sumpter mules laden with rich merchandise. 
With these they had made a forced march over the dangerous 
parts of the mountains ; but now, finding themselves so near to 
Granada, fancied themselves in perfect security. They loitered 
along the road, therefore, irregularly and slowly, some singing, 
others laughing and exulting at having eluded the boasted vigi- 
lance of the count de Tendilla ; while ever and anon was heard 
the plaint of some female captive bewailing the jeopardy of her 
honor, or the heavy sighing of the merchant at beholding his 
property in the grasp of ruthless spoilers. 

The count waited until some of the escort had passed the ra- 
vine ; then, giving the signal for assault, his cavaliers set up great 
shouts and cries, and charged into the centre of the foe. The ob- 
scurity of the place and the hour added to the terrors of the sur- 
prise. The Moors were thrown into confusion ; some rallied, fought 
desperately, and fell covered with wounds. Thirty-six were killed, 
and fifty-five were made prisoners ; the rest, under cover of the dark- 
ness, made their escape to the rocks and defiles of the mountains. 

The ,good count unbound the prisoners, gladdening the hearts 
of the merchants by restoring to them their merchandise. To 
the female captives also he restored the jewels of which they had 
been despoiled, excepting such as had been lost beyond re- 
covery. Forty-five saddle horses, of the choice Barbary breed, 



468 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



remained as captured spoils of the Moors, together with costly 
armor, and booty of various kinds. Having collected every thing 
in haste, and arranged his cavalgada, the count urged his way 
with all speed for Alcala la Real, lest he should be pursued and 
overtaken by the Moors of Granada. As he wound up the steep 
ascent to his mountain city, the inhabitants poured forth to meet 
him with shouts of joy. His triumph was doubly enhanced by 
being received at the gates of the city by his wife, the daughter 
of the marques of Villena, a lady of distinguished merit, whom 
he had not seen for two years, during which he had been separa- 
ated from his home by the arduous duties of these iron wars. 

We have yet another act to relate of this good count de Ten- 
dilla, who was in truth a mirror of knightly virtue. One day, a 
Christian soldier, just escaped from captivity in Granada, brought 
word to the count, that an illustrious damsel named Fatima, niece 
of the alcayde Aben Comixa, was to leave the city on a certain 
day, escorted by a numerous party of relatives and friends of 
distinguished rank, on a journey to Almunecar, there to embark 
for the African coast, to celebrate her nuptials with the alcayde 
of Tetuan. This was too brilliant a prize to be neglected. The 
count accordingly sallied forth with a light company of cavalry, 
and descending the defiles of the mountains, stationed himself 
behind the rocky sierra of Elvira, not far from the eventful 
bridge of Pinos, within a few short miles of Granada. Hence he 
detached Alonzo de Cardenas Ulloa, with fifty light horsemen, to 
post himself in ambush by the road the bridal party had to 
travel. After a time, the latter came in sight, proving less nu- 
merous than had been expected ; for the damsel was escorted 
merely by four armed domestics, and accompanied by a few rela- 
tives and two female attendants. The whole party was surround- 
ed and captured almost without resistance, and carried off to the 
count at the bridge of Pinos. The good count conveyed his 



GALLANT ACT OF TENDILLA. 469 



beautiful captive to his stronghold at Alcala, where he treated her 
and her companions with all the delicacy and respect due to their 
rank and to his own character as a courteous cavalier. 

The tidings of the capture of his niece gave poignant afflic- 
tion to the vizier Aben Comixa. His royal master Boabdil, of 
whom he- was the prime favorite and confidential adviser, sympa- 
thized in his distress. With his own hand he wrote a letter to 
the count, offering in exchange for the fair Fatima one hundred 
Christian captives, to be chosen from those detained in Granada. 
This royal letter was sent by Don Francisco de Zuniga, an Ara- 
gonese cavalier, who Aben Comixa held in captivity, and who was 
set at liberty for the purpose. 

On receiving the letter of Boabdil, the count de Tendilla at 
once gave freedom to the Moorish maid, making her a magnificent 
present of jewels, and sending her and her companions under 
honorable escort to the very gates of Granada. 

Boabdil, exceeding his promises, immediately set free 
twenty captive priests, one hundred and thirty Castilian and 
Aragonian cavaliers, and a number of peasant women. His fa- 
vorite and vizier, Aben Comixa, was so rejoiced at the liberation 
of his niece, and so struck with the chivalrous conduct of her 
captor, that he maintained from that day a constant and amicable 
correspondence with the count de Tendilla ; and became, in the 
hands of the latter, one of the most efficacious agents in bringing 
the Avar of Granada to a triumphant close.* 

* This interesting anecdote of the count de Tendilla, which is a key to 
the subsequent conduct of the vizier Aben Comixa, and had a singular in- 
fluence on the fortunes of Boabdil and his kingdom, is originally given in a 
manuscript history of the counts of Tendilla, written about the middle of 
the sixteenth century, by Gabriel Rodriguez de Ardila a Grenadine clergy- 
man. It has been brought to light recently by the researches of Alcantara, 
for his History of Granada. (Vol. 4, cap. 18.) 



470 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXVIII. 

Expedition of Boabdil el Chico against Salobrena. — Exploit of Hernan 
Perez del Pulgar. 

King Boabdil found that his diminished territory was too closely 
dominated by Christian fortresses like Alcala la Real, and too 
strictly watched by vigilant alcaydes like the count of Tendilla, 
to be able to maintain itself by internal resources. His foraging 
expeditions were liable to be intercepted and defeated, while the 
ravage of the vega had swept off every thing on which the city 
depended for future sustenance. He felt the want of a seaport, 
through which, as formerly, he might keep open a communication 
with Africa, and obtain reinforcements and supplies from beyond 
the sea. All the ports and harbors were in the hands of the 
Christians, and Granada and its remnant of dependent territory 
were completely landlocked. 

In this emergency, the attention of Boabdil was called by cir- 
cumstances to the seaport of Salobrena. This redoubtable town 
has already been mentioned in this chronicle, as a place deemed 
impregnable by the Moors ; insomuch, that their kings were ac- 
customed, in time of peril, to keep their treasures in its citadel. 
It was situated on a high rocky hill, dividing one of those rich 
little vegas or plains which lie open to the Mediterranean, but run 
like deep green bays into the stern bosoms of the mountains. 
The vega was covered with beautiful vegetation, with rice and 



SURPRISE OF SALOBRENA. 471 



cotton, with groves of oranges, citrons, figs and mulberries, and 
with gardens inclosed by hedges of reeds, of aloes and the Indian 
fig. Running streams of cool water from the springs and snows 
of the Sierra Nevada, kept this delightful valley continually 
fresh and verdant ; while it was almost locked up by mountain 
barriers, and lofty promontories stretching far into the sea. 

Through the centre of this rich vega, the rock of Salobrefia 
reared its rugged back, nearly dividing the plain, and advancing 
to the margin of the sea, with just a strip of sandy beach at its 
foot, laved by the blue waves of the Mediterranean. 

The town covered the ridge and sides of the rocky hill, and 
was fortified by strong walls and towers ; while on the highest 
and most precipitate part stood the citadel, a huge castle that 
seemed to form a part of the living rock ; the massive ruins of 
which, at the present day, attract the gaze of the traveller, as he 
winds his way far below, along the road through the vega. 

This important fortress had been intrusted to the command 
of Don Francisco Ramirez de Madrid, captain-general of the ar- 
tillery, and the most scientific of all the Spanish leaders. That 
experienced veteran, however, was with the king at Cordova, hav- 
ing left a valiant cavalier as alcayde of the place. 

Boabdil had full information of the state of the garrison and 
the absence of its commander. Putting himself at the head of a 
powerful force, therefore, he departed from Granada, and made a 
rapid march through the mountains ; hoping to seize upon Salo- 
brefia before king Ferdinand could come to its assistance. 

The inhabitants of Salobrefia were Mudexares, or Moors who 
had sworn allegiance to the Christians. Still, when they heard 
the sound of the Moorish drums and trumpets, and beheld the 
squadrons of their countrymen advancing across the vega, their 
hearts yearned towards the standard of their nation and their 
faith. A tumult arose in the place ; the populace shouted the 



472 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



name of Boabdil el Chico, and, throwing open the gates, admitted 
him within the walls. 

The Christian garrison was too few in number, to contend for 
the possession of the town: they retreated to the citadel, and 
shut themselves within its massive walls, which were considered 
impregnable. Here they maintained a desperate defence, hoping 
to hold out until succor should arrive from the neighboring for- 
tresses. 

The tidings that Salobreiia was invested by the Moorish king, 
spread along the sea-coast, and filled the Christians with alarm. 
Don Francisco Enriquez, uncle of the king, commanded the city 
of Velez Malaga, about twelve leagues distant, but separated by 
ranges of those vast rocky mountains which are piled along the 
Mediterranean, and tower in steep promontories and precipices 
above its waves. 

Don Francisco summoned the alcaydes of his district to has- 
ten with him to the relief of this important fortress. A number 
of cavaliers and their retainers answered to his call, among whom 
was Hernan Perez del Pulgar, surnamed " El de las Hazanas,' 
(he of the exploits,) — the same who had signalized himself in a 
foray, by elevating a handkerchief on a lance for a banner, and 
leading on his disheartened comrades to victory. As soon as 
Don Francisco beheld a little band collected round him, he set 
out with all speed for Salobreiia. The march was rugged and 
severe, climbing and descending immense mountains, and some- 
times winding along the edge of giddy precipices, with the surges 
of the sea raging far below. When Don Francisco arrived with 
his followers at the lofty promontory that stretches along one 
side of the little vega of Salobreiia, he looked down with sorrow 
and anxiety upon a Moorish army of great force, encamped at 
the foot of the fortress, while Moorish banners, on various parts 
of the walls, proved that the town was already in possession of 



EXPLOIT OF HERNAN DEL PULGAR. 473 



the infidels. A solitary Christian standard alone floated on the 
top of the castle-keep, showing that the brave garrison were hem- 
med up in their rock-built citadel. They were in fact reduced to 
great extremity, through want of water and provisions. 

Don Francisco found it impossible, with his small force, to 
make any impression on the camp of the Moors, or to get to the 
relief of the castle. He stationed his little band upon a roeky 
height near the sea, where they were safe from the assaults of the 
enemy. The sight of his friendly banner waving in their neigh- 
borhood cheered the heart of the garrison, and gave them assu- 
rance of speedy succor from the king ; while the hostile menaces 
of Don Francisco, served to check the attacks of the Moors upon 
the citadel. 

In the mean time, Hernan Perez del Pulgar, who always 
burned to distinguish himself by bold and striking exploits, had 
discovered in the course of his prowlings, a postern gate of the 
castle opening upon the steep part of the rocky hill looking to- 
wards the mountains. The thought occurred to him, that by a 
bold dash at a favorable moment, this postern might be attained, 
and succor thrown into the castle. He pointed the place out to 
his comrades. " Who will follow my banner," said he, " and 
make a dash for yonder postern ?" A bold proposition in time of 
warfare never wants for bold spirits to accept it. Seventy reso- 
lute men stepped forward to second him. Pulgar chose the early 
daybreak for his enterprise, when the Moors, just aroused from 
sleep, were changing guard, and making the various arrangements 
of the morning. Favored by these movements, and the drowsi- 
ness of the hour, Pulgar approached the Moorish line silently 
and steadily, most of his followers armed with cross-bows and 
espingardas, or muskets. Then suddenly making an onset, they 
broke through a weak part of the camp, before the alarm had 



474 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



spread through the army, and succeeded in fighting their way up 
to the gate, which was eagerly thrown open to receive them. 

The garrison, roused to new spirit by this unlooked-for rein- 
forcement, was enabled to make a more vigorous resistance. The 
Moors, however, who knew there was a great scarcity of water in 
the castle, exulted in the idea that this additional number of 
warriors would soon exhaust the cisterns, and compel a surrender. 
Pulgar, hearing of this hope, caused a bucket of water to be low- 
ered from the battlements, and threw a silver cup in bravado to 
the Moors. 

The garrison, in truth, suffered intensely from thirst, while, to 
tantalize them in their sufferings, they beheld limpid streams 
winding in abundance through the green plain below them. They 
began to fear that all succor would arrive too late, when one day 
they beheld a little squadron of vessels far at sea, but standing 
towards the shore. There was some doubt at first whether it 
might not be a hostile armament from Africa ; but as it ap- 
proached, they descried, to their great joy, the banner of Castile. 

It was a reinforcement, brought in all haste by the governor 
of the fortress, Don Francisco Ramirez. The squadron anchored 
at a steep rocky island, which rises from the very margin of the 
smooth sandy beach, directly in front of the rock of Salobrena, 
and stretches out into the sea. On this island Ramirez landed 
his men, and was as strongly posted as if in a fortress. His force 
was too scanty to attempt a battle, but he assisted to harass and 
distract the besiegers. Whenever king Boabdil made an attack 
upon the fortress, his camp was assailed on one side by the troops 
of Ramirez, who landed from their island, and on another by 
those of Don Francisco Enriquez, who swept down from their 
rock ; while Hernan del Pulgar kept up a brave defence, from 
every tower and battlement of the castle. 

The attention of the Moorish king was diverted, also, for a 



RETREAT OF BOABDIL. 475 



time, by an ineffectual attempt to relieve the little port of Adra, 
which had recently declared in his favor, but which had been re- 
captured for the Christians by Cid Hiaya and his son Alnayar. 
Thus the unlucky Boabdil, bewildered on every hand, lost all the 
advantage that he had gained by his rapid march from Granada. 
While he was yet besieging the obstinate citadel, tidings were 
brought him that king Ferdinand was in full march, with a pow- 
erful host, to its assistance. There was no time for farther de- 
lay : he made a furious attack with all his forces upon the castle, 
but was again repulsed by Pulgar and his coadjutors ; when, 
abandoning the siege in despair, he retreated with his army, lest 
king Ferdinand should get between him and his capital. On his 
way back to Granada, however, he in some sort consoled himself 
for his late disappointment, by overrunning a part of the territo- 
ries and possessions lately assigned to his uncle El Zagal, and to 
Cid Hiaya. He defeated their alcaydes, destroyed several of 
their fortresses, burnt their villages, and, leaving the country be- 
hind him reeking and smoking with his vengeance, returned with 
considerable booty, to repose himself within the walls of the Al- 
hambra.* 

* Pulgar, Cron. p. 3, c. 131. Cura de los Palacios, cap. 97. 



476 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER LXXXIX. 

How King Ferdinand treated the people of Guadix — and how El Zagal 
finished his regal career. 

Scarcely had Boabdil ensconced himself in his capital, when 
king Ferdinand, at the head of seven thousand horse and twenty 
thousand foot, again appeared in the vega. He had set out in all 
haste from Cordova, to the relief of Salobrena ; but, hearing on 
his march that the siege was raised, he turned to make a second 
ravage round the walls of devoted Granada. His present forage 
lasted fifteen days, in the course of which almost every thing that 
had escaped his former desolating visit was destroyed, and scarce 
a green thing or a living animal was left on the face of the land. 
The Moors sallied frequently, and fought desperately, in defence 
of their fields ; but the work of destruction was accomplished — 
and G-ranada, once the queen of gardens, was left surrounded by 
a desert. 

Ferdinand next hastened to crush a conspiracy in the cities 
of Guadix, Baza, and Almeria. These recently conquered places 
had entered into secret correspondence with Boabdil, inviting 
him to march to their gates, promising to rise upon the Christian 
garrisons, seize upon the citadels, and surrender them into his 
power. The marques of Villena had received notice of the con- 
spiracy, and suddenly thrown himself, with a large force, into 



TREATMENT OF THE GUADIXANS. 477 



Guadix. Under pretence of a review of the inhabitants, he 
made them sally forth into the fields before the city. When the 
whole Moorish population capable of bearing arms was thus with- 
out the walls, he ordered the gates to be closed. He then per- 
mitted them to enter, two by two and three by three, and take 
forth their wives, children, and effects. The houseless Moors 
were fain to make themselves temporary hovels, in the gardens 
and orchards about the city ; they were clamorous in their com- 
plaints at being thus excluded from their homes, but were told 
they must wait with patience until the charges against them 
could be investigated, and the pleasure of the king be known.* 

When Ferdinand arrived at Guadix, he found the unhappy 
Moors in their cabins among the orchards. They complained 
bitterly of the deception .practised upon them, and implored per- 
mission to return into the city, and live peaceably in their dwell- 
ings, as had been promised them in their articles of capitulation. 

King Ferdinand listened graciously to their complaints : 
u My friends," said he in reply, " I have been informed that 
there has been a conspiracy among you to kill my alcayde and 
garrison, and to take part with my enemy, the king of Granada. 
I shall make a thorough investigation of this conspiracy. Those 
among you who shall be proved innocent shall be restored to their 
dwellings, but the guilty shall incur the penalty of their offences. 
As I wish however to proceed with mercy as well as justice, I 
now give you your choice, either to depart at once without fur- 
ther question, going wherever you please, and taking with you 
your families and effects, under an assurance of safety ; or to de- 
liver up those who are guilty, not one of whom, I give you my 
royal word, shall escape punishment." 

When the people of Guadix heard these words, they coni- 

* Zurita, lib. c. 85. Cara de los Palacios, c. 97. 



478 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



muned among themselves ; and as most of them (says the worthy 
Agapida) were either culpable or feared to be considered so, they 
accepted the alternative, and departed sorrowfully, they and their 
wives and their little ones. " Thus," in the words of that excel- 
lent and cotemporary historian, Andres Bernaldez, commonly 
called the curate of Los Palacios — " thus did the king deliver 
Guadix from the hands of the enemies of our holy faith, after 
seven hundred and seventy years that it had been in their posses- 
sion, ever since the time of Roderick the Goth ; and this was one 
of the mysteries of our Lord, who would not consent that the 
city should remain longer in the power of the Moors :" — a pious 
and sage remark, which is quoted with peculiar approbation by 
the worthy Agapida. 

King Ferdinand offered similar alternatives to the Moors of 
Baza, Almeria, and other cities accused of participation in this 
conspiracy; who generally preferred to abandon their homes, 
rather than incur the risk of an investigation. Most of them re- 
linquished Spain, as a country where they could no longer live in 
security and independence, and departed with their families for 
Africa ; such as remained were suffered to live in villages and 
hamlets, and other unwalled places.* 

While Ferdinand was thus occupied at Guadix, dispensing 
justice and mercy, and receiving cities in exchange, the old mon- 
arch Muley Abdallah, surnamed El Zagal, appeared before him. 
He was haggard with care, and almost crazed with passion. He 
had found his little territory of Andarax, and his two thousand 
subjects, as difficult to govern as had been the distracted king- 
dom of Granada. The charm, which had bound the Moors to 
him, was broken when he appeared in arms under the banner of 
Ferdinand. He had returned from his inglorious campaign with 

* Garibay, lib. 13, cap. 39. Pulgar, part 3, cap. 132. 



DEPARTURE OF EL ZAGAL.— HIS FATE. 479 



his petty army of two hundred .men, followed by the execrations 
of the people of Granada, and the secret repining of those he had 
led into the field. No sooner had his subjects heard of the suc- 
cesses of Boabdil el Chico, than they had seized their arms, 
assembled tumultuously, declared for the young monarch, and 
threatened the life of El Zagal* The unfortunate old king had 
with difficulty evaded their fury ; and this last lesson seemed 
entirely to have cured him of his passion for sovereignty. He 
now entreated Ferdinand to purchase the towns and castles, and 
other possessions which had been granted to him ; offering them 
at a low rate, and begging safe passage for himself and his fol- 
lowers to Africa. King Ferdinand graciously complied with his 
wishes. He purchased of him three-and-twenty towns and vil- 
lages in the valleys of Andarax and Alhaurin, for which he gave 
him five millions of maravedies. El Zagal relinquished his right 
to one-half of the salinas or salt-pits of Maleha, in favor of his 
brother-in-law, Cid Hiaya. Having thus disposed of his petty 
empire and possessions, he packed up all his treasure, of which 
he had a great amount, and, followed by many Moorish families, 
passed over to Africa, f. 

And here let us cast an eye beyond the present period of our 
chronicle, and trace the remaining career of El Zagal. His short 
and turbulent reign, and disastrous end, would afford a wholesome 
lesson to unprincipled ambition, were not all ambition of the 
kind fated to be blind to precept and example. When he arrived 
in Africa, instead of meeting with kindness and sympathy, he 
was seized and thrown into prison by the caliph of Fez, Beninie- 
rin, as though he had been his vassal. He was accused of being 
the cause of the dissensions and downfall of the kingdom of Gra- 
nada ; and the accusation being proved to the satisfaction of the 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 97. f Conde, part 4> cap. 41. 



480 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



king of Fez, he condemned the nnhappy El Zagal to perpetual 
darkness. A basin of glowing copper was passed before his eyes, 
which effectually destroyed his sight. His wealth, which had 
probably been the secret cause of these cruel measures, was con- 
fiscated and seized upon by his oppressor ; and El Zagal was 
thrust forth, blind, helpless, and destitute, upon the world. In 
this wretched condition, the late Moorish monarch groped his 
way through the regions of Tingitania, until he reached the city 
of Velez de la Gromera. The emir of Velez had formerly been 
his ally, and felt some movement of compassion at his present al- 
tered and abject state. He gave him food and raiment, and suf- 
fered him to remain unmolested in his dominions. Death, which 
so often hurries off the prosperous and happy from the midst of 
untasted pleasures, spares on the other hand the miserable, to 
drain the last drop of his cup of bitterness. El Zagal dragged 
out a wretched existence of many years, in the city of Velez. 
He wandered about blind and disconsolate, an object of mingled 
scorn and pity, and bearing above his raiment a parchment on 
which was written in Arabic, " This is the unfortunate king of 
Andalusia."* 

* Marmol, de Rebelione Maur. lib. 1, cap. 16. Padraza, Hist. Granat, 
part 3, c. 4. Suarez, Hist. Obisp. de Guadix y Baza, cap. 10. 



PREPARATIONS IN GRANADA. 481 



CHAPTER XC. 

Preparations of Granada for a desperate defence. 

How is thy strength departed, oh Granada ! how is thy beauty 
withered and despoiled, oh city of groves and fountains ! The 
commerce that once thronged thy streets is at an end ; the mer- 
chant no longer hastens to thy gates, with the luxuries of foreign 
lands. The cities which once paid thee tribute are wrested from 
thy sway ; the chivalry which filled thy Vivarrambla with sump- 
tuous pageantry, have fallen in many battles. The Alhambra 
still rears its ruddy towers from the midst of groves, but melan- 
choly reigns in its marble halls ; and the monarch looks down 
from his lofty balconies upon a naked waste, where once extended 
the blooming glories of the vega !] 

Such is the lament of the Moorish writers, over the lamenta- 
ble state of Granada, now a mere phantom of former greatness. 
The two ravages of the vega, following so closely upon each other, 
had swept off all the produce of the year ; and the husbandman 
had no longer the heart to till the field, seeing the ripening har- 
vest only brought the spoiler to his door. 

During the winter season, Ferdinand made diligent prepara- 
tions for the campaign, that was to decide the fate of Granada. 
As this war was waged purely for the promotion of the Christian 
faith, he thought it meet that its enemies should bear the ex- 
21 



482 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



penses. He levied, therefore, a general contribution upon the 
Jews throughout his kingdom, by synagogues and districts ; and 
obliged them to render in the proceeds, at the city of Seville.* 

On the 11th of April, Ferdinand and Isabella departed for 
the Moorish frontier, with the solemn determination to lay close 
siege to Granada, and never quit its walls until they had planted 
the standard of the faith on the towers of the Alhambra. Many 
of the nobles of the kingdom, particularly those from parts re- 
mote from the scene of action, wearied by the toils of war, and 
foreseeing that this would be a tedious siege, requiring patience 
and vigilance rather than hardy deeds of arms, contented them- 
selves with sending their vassals, while they staid at home, to 
attend to their domains. Many cities furnished soldiers at their 
cost, and the king took the field with an army of forty thousand 
infantry and ten thousand horse. ' The principal captains who 
followed him in this campaign, were Roderigo Ponce de Leon, the 
marques of Cadiz, the master of Santiago, the marques of Ville- 
na, the counts of Tendilla, Cifuentes, Cabra, and Urena, and Don 
Alonzo de Aguilar. 

Queen Isabella, accompanied by her son the prince Juan, and 
the princesses Juana, Maria, and Cathalina, her daughters, pro- 
ceeded to Alcala la Real, the mountain fortress and stronghold of 
the count de Tendilla. Here she remained, to forward supplies 
to the army, and to be ready to repair to the camp, whenever her 
presence might be required. 

The army of Ferdinand poured into the vega, by various de- 
files of the mountains ; and, on the 23d of April, the royal tent 
was pitched at a village called Los Ojos de Huescar, about a 
league and a half from Granada. At the approach of this for- 
midable force, the harassed inhabitants turned pale, and even 

* Garibay, lib. 18, c. 39. 



MUZA'S STURDY RESOLUTION. 483 



many of the warriors trembled ; for they felt that the last despe- 
rate struggle was at hand. 

Boabdil el Chico assembled his council in the Alhambra, from 
the windows of which they could behold the Christian squadrons 
glistening through clouds of dust, as they poured along the vega. 
The utmost confusion and consternation reigned in the council. 
Many of the members, terrified with the horrors impending over 
their families, advised Boabdil to throw himself upon the gene- 
rosity of the Christian monarch : even several of the bravest sug- 
gested the possibility of obtaining honorable terms. 

The wazir of the city, Abul Casim Abdel Melic, was called 
upon to report the state of the public means for sustenance and 
defence. There were sufficient provisions, he said, for a few 
months' supply, independent of what might exist in the posses- 
sion of merchants and other rich inhabitants. " But of what 
avail," said he, " is a supply for a few months, against the sieges 
of the Castilian monarch, which are interminable ?" 

He produced, also, the lists of men capable of bearing arms. 
" The number," said he, " is great ; but what can be expected 
from mere citizen-soldiers ? They vaunt and menace, in time of 
safety ; none are so arrogant, when the enemy is at a distance; — 
but when the din of war thunders at the gates, they hide them- 
selves in terror." 

When Muza heard these words, he rose with generous warmth : 
" What reason have we," said he, " to despair % The blood of 
those illustrious Moors, the conquerors of Spain, still flows in 
our veins. Let us be true to ourselves, and fortune will again be 
with us. We have a veteran force, both horse and foot, the flower 
of our chivalry, seasoned in war and scarred in a thousand bat- 
tles. As to the multitude of our citizens, spoken of so slightly, 
why should we doubt their valor ? There are twenty thousand 
young men, in the fire of youth, whom I will engage, that in the 



484 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



defence of their homes they will rival the most valiant veterans. 
Do we want provisions % Our horses are fleet, and our horsemen 
daring in the foray. Let them scour and scourge the country of 
those apostate Moslems who have surrendered to the Christians. 
Let them make inroads into the lands of our enemies. We shall 
soon see them returning with cavalgadas to our gates ; and, to a 
soldier, there is no morsel so sweet as that wrested with hard 
fighting from the foe." 

Boabdil, though he wanted firm and durable courage, was 
readily excited to sudden emotions of bravery. He caught a 
glow of resolution from the noble ardor of Muza. " Do what is 
needful," said he to his commanders; "into your hands I confide 
the common safety. You are the protectors of the kingdom, and, 
with the aid of Allah, will revenge the insults of our religion, the 
deaths of our friends and relations, and the sorrows and suffer- 
ings heaped upon our land."* 

To every one was now assigned his separate duty. The wazir 
had charge of the arms and provisions, and the enrolling of the 
people. Muza was to command the cavalry, to defend the gates, 
and to take the lead in all sallies and skirmishings. Nairn Red- 
uan, and Muhamed Aben Zayde, were his adjutants. Abdel 
Kerim Zegri, and the other captains, were to guard the walls ; 
and the alcaydes of the Alcazaba, and of the Red Towers, had 
command of the fortresses. 

Nothing now was heard but the din of arms, and the bustle 
of preparation. The Moorish spirit, quick to catch fire, was im- 
mediately in a flame ; and the populace, in the excitement of the 
moment, set at nought the power of the Christians. Muza was 
in all parts of the city, infusing his own generous zeal into the 
bosoms of the soldiery. The young cavaliers rallied round him 
as their model ; the veteran warriors regarded him with a soldier's 

* Conde. 



MUZA'S PRACTICAL BRAVERY. 485 



admiration ; the vulgar throng followed him with shouts, and the 
helpless part of the inhabitants, the old men and the women, 
hailed him with blessings as their protector. 

On the first appearance of the Christian army, the principal 
gates of the city had been closed, and secured with bars and bolts 
and heavy chains : Muza now ordered them to be thrown open ; 
" To me and my cavaliers," said he, " is intrusted the defence of 
the gates ; our bodies shall be their barriers." He stationed at 
each gate a strong guard, chosen from his bravest men. His 
horsemen were always completely armed, and ready to mount at 
a moment's warning : their steeds stood saddled and caparisoned 
in the stables, with lance and buckler beside them. On the least 
approach of the enemy, a squadron of horse gathered within the 
gate, ready to launch forth like the bolt from the thunder-cloud. 
Muza made no empty bravado nor haughty threat ; he was more 
terrible in deeds than in words, and executed daring exploits, be- 
yond even the vaunt of the vainglorious. Such was the present 
champion of the Moors. Had they possessed many such warriors, 
or had Muza risen to power at an earlier period of the war, the 
fate of Granada might have been deferred, and the Moor for a 
long time have maintained his throne within the walls of the 
Alhambra. 



486 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 






CHAPTER XCI. 

How King Ferdinand conducted the siege cautiously ; and how Queen 
Isabella arrived at the camp. 

Though Granada was shorn of its glories, and nearly cut off from 
all external aid, still its mighty castles and massive bulwarks 
seemed to set all attack at defiance. Being the last retreat of 
Moorish power, it had assembled within its walls the remnants of 
the armies which had contended, step by step, with the invaders, 
in their gradual conquest of the land. All that remained of 
high-born and high-bred chivalry, was here ; all that was loyal 
and patriotic was roused to activity by the common danger ; and 
Granada, so long lulled into inaction by vain hopes of security, 
now assumed a formidable aspect in the hour of its despair. 

Ferdinand saw that any attempt to subdue the city by main 
force, would be perilous and bloody. Cautious in his policy, and 
fond of conquests gained by art rather than valor, he resorted to 
the plan so successful with Baza, and determined to reduce the 
place by famine. For this purpose, his armies penetrated into 
the very heart of the Alpuxarras, and ravaged the valleys, and 
sacked and burnt the towns, upon which the city depended for its 
supplies. Scouting parties, also, ranged the mountains behind 
Granada, and captured every casual convoy of provisions. The 
Moors became more daring, as their situation became more hope- 
less. Never had Ferdinand experienced such vigorous sallies and 



ARRIVAL OF ISABELLA. 487 



assaults. Muza, at the head of his cavalry, harassed the borders 
of the camp, and even penetrated into the interior, making sudden 
spoil and ravage, and leaving his course to be traced by the slain 
and wounded. To protect his camp from these assaults, Ferdi- 
nand fortified it with deep trenches and strong bulwarks. It was 
of a quadrangular form, divided into streets like a city, the troops 
being quartered in tents, and in booths constructed of bushes 
and branches of trees. When it was completed, queen Isabella 
came in state, with all her court, and the prince and princesses, to 
be present at the siege. This was intended, as on former occa- 
sions, to reduce the besieged to despair, by showing the determi- 
nation of the sovereigns to reside in the camp until the city 
should surrender. Immediately after her arrival, the queen rode 
forth to survey the camp and its environs : wherever she went, 
she was attended by a splendid retinue ; and all the commanders 
vied with each other, in the pomp and ceremony with which they 
received her. Nothing was heard, from morning until night, but 
shouts and acclamations, and bursts of martial music ; so that it 
appeared to the Moors as if a continual festival and triumph 
reigned in the Christian camp. 

The arrival of the queen, however, and the menaced obstinacy 
of the siege, had no effect in damping the fire of the Moorish 
chivalry. Muza inspired the youthful warriors with the most de- 
voted heroism : " We have nothing left to fight for," said he, " but 
the ground we stand on ; when this is lost, we cease to have a 
country and a name." 

Finding the Christian king forbore to make an attack, Muza 
incited his cavaliers to challenge the youthful chivalry of the 
Christian army to single combat, or partial skirmishes. Scarce a 
day passed without gallant conflicts of the kind, in sight of the 
city and the camp. The combatants rivalled each other in the 
splendor of their armor and array, as well as in the prowess of 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



their deeds. Their contests were more like the stately ceremo- 
nials of tilts and tournaments, than the rude conflicts of the 
field. Ferdinand soon perceived that they animated the fiery 
Moors with fresh zeal and courage, while they cost the lives of 
many of his bravest cavaliers : he again, therefore, forbade the 
acceptance of any individual challenges, and ordered that all par- 
tial encounters should be avoided. The cool and stern policy of 
the Catholic sovereign bore hard upon the generous spirits of 
either army, but roused the indignation of the Moors, when they 
found that they were to be subdued in this inglorious manner : 
" Of what avail," said they, " are chivalry and heroic valor ? the 
crafty monarch of the Christians has no magnanimity in warfare j 
he seeks to subdue us through the weakness of our bodies, but 
shuns to encounter the courage of our souls." 



TARFE THE MOOR. 489 



CHAPTER XCIL 

Of the insolent defiance of Tarfe the Moor, and the daring exploit of Her- 
nan Perez del Pulgar. 

When the Moorish knights beheld that all courteous challenges 
were unavailing, they sought various means to provoke the Chris- 
tian warriors to the field. Sometimes a body of them, fleetly 
mounted, would gallop up to the skirts of the camp, and try who 
should hurl his lance farthest within the barriers, having his 
name inscribed upon it, or a label affixed, containing some taunt- 
ing defiance. These bravadoes caused great irritation ; still the 
Spanish warriors were restrained by the prohibition of the king. 

Among the Moorish cavaliers was one named Tarfe, renowned 
for strength and daring spirit ; but whose courage partook of 
fierce audacity, rather than chivalric heroism. In one of these 
sallies, when skirting the Christian camp, this arrogant Moor out- 
stripped his companions, overleaped the barriers, and, galloping 
close to the royal quarters, launched his lance so far within, that 
it remained quivering in the earth close by the pavilions of the 
sovereigns. The royal guards rushed forth in pursuit, but the 
Moorish horsemen were already beyond the camp, and scouring 
in a cloud of dust for the city. Upon wresting the lance from 
the earth, a label was found upon it, importing that it was in- 
tended for the queen. 

Nothing could equal the indignation of the Christian warriors, 
21* 



490 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



at the insolence of the bravado, and the discourteous insult offered 
to the queen. Hernan Perez del Pulgar, surnamed " he of the 
exploits," was present, and resolved not to be outbraved by this 
daring infidel : " Who will stand by me," said he, " in an enter- 
prise of desperate peril ?" The Christian cavaliers well knew 
the harebrained valor of Hernan, yet not one hesitated to step 
forward. He chose fifteen companions, all of powerful arm and 
dauntless heart. 

His project was to penetrate Granada in the dead of the night, 
by a secret pass, made known to him by a Moorish renegade of 
the city, whom he had christened Pedro Pulgar, and who was to 
act as guide. They were to set fire to the Alcaiceria and other 
principal edifices, and then effect their retreat as best they might. 
At the hour appointed, the adventurous troop set forth provided 
with combustibles. The renegade led them silently to a drain or 
channel of the river Darro, up which they proceeded cautiously, 
single file, until they halted under a bridge near the royal gate. 
Here dismounting, Pulgar stationed six of his companions to re- 
main silent and motionless and keep guard, while followed by the 
rest, and still guided by the renegade, he continued up the drain 
or channel of the Darro, which passes under a part of the city, 
and was thus enabled to make his way undiscovered into the 
streets. All was dark and silent. At the command of Pulgar, 
the renegade led him to the principal mosque. Here the cavalier, 
pious as brave, threw himself on his knees, and drawing forth a 
parchment scroll on which was inscribed in large letters Ave 
Maria, nailed it to the door of the mosque, thus converting the 
heathen edifice into a Christian chapel and dedicating it to the 
blessed Virgin. This done, he hastened to the Alcaiceria to set 
it in a blaze. The combustibles were all placed, but Tristan de 
Montemayor. who had charge of the firebrand, had carelessly left 
it at the door of the mosque. It was too late to return there. 



EXPLOIT OF PULGAR. 491 



Pulgar was endeavoring to strike fire with flint and steel into the 
ravelled end of a cord, when he was startled by the approach of the 
Moorish guard going the rounds. His hand was on his sword in 
an instant. Seconded by his brave companions, he assailed the as- 
tonished Moors and put them to flight. In a little while the whole 
city resounded with alarms, soldiers were hurrying through the 
streets in every direction ; but Pulgar, guided by the renegade, 
made good his retreat by the channel of the Darro, to his com- 
panions at the bridge, and all mounting their horses, spurred 
back to the camp. The Moors were at a loss to imagine the 
meaning of this wild and apparently fruitless assault ; but great 
was their exasperation, on the following day, when the trophy 
of hardihood and prowess, the " Ave Maria," was discovered 
thus elevated in bravado in the very centre of the city. The 
mosque thus boldly sanctified by Hernan del Pulgar was actually 
consecrated into a cathedral, after the capture of Granada.* 

* The account here given of the exploit of Hernan del Pulgar, differs 
from that given in the first edition, and is conformable to the record of the 
fact in a manuscript called " The House of Salar" existing in the library 
of Salazar, and cited by Alcantara in his History of Granada. 

In commemoration of this daring feat of Pulgar, the emperor Charles 
V., in after years, conferred on that cavalier, and on his descendants, the 
marquesses of Salar, the privilege of sitting in the choir during high mass, 
and assigned as the place of sepulture of Pulgar himself, the identical spot 
where he kneeled to affix the sacred scroll ; and his tomb is still held in 
great veneration. This Hernan Perez del Pulgar was a man of letters, as 
well as arms, and inscribed to Charles V. a summary of the achievements 
of Gonsalvo of Cordova, surnamed the great captain, who had been one of 
his comrades in arms. He is often confounded with Hernando del Pulgar, 
historian and secretary to queen Isabella. — See note to Pulgar 's Chron. of 
the Catholic Sovereigns, part 3, c. iii. edit. Valencia, 1780. 



492 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCIII. 

How Queen Isabella took a view of the city of Granada — and how her cu- 
riosity cost the lives of many Christians and Moors. 

The royal encampment lay so distant from Granada, that the 
general aspect of the city only could be seen, as it rose gracefully 
from the vega, covering the sides of the hills with palaces and 
towers. Queen Isabella had expressed an earnest desire to be- 
hold, nearer at hand, a city whose beauty was so renowned 
throughout the world ; and the marques of Cadiz, with his accus- 
tomed courtesy, prepared a great military escort and guard, to 
protect her and the ladies of the court, while they enjoyed this 
perilous gratification. 

On the morning of June the 1 8th, a magnificent and power- 
ful train issued from the Christian camp. The advanced guard 
was composed of legions of cavalry, heavily armed, looking like 
moving masses of polished steel. Then came the king and queen, 
with the prince and princess, and the ladies of the court, sur- 
rounded by the royal body-guard, sumptuously arrayed, composed 
of the sons of the most illustrious houses of Spain ; after these 
was the rear-guard, a powerful force of horse and foot ; for the 
flower of the army sallied forth that day. The Moors gazed 
with fearful admiration at this glorious pageant, wherein the 
pomp of the court was mingled with the terrors of the camp. 
It moved along in radiant line, across the vega, to the melodious 
thunders of martial music ; while banner and plume, and silken 



A MARTIAL PARADE. 493 



scarf, and rich brocade, gave a gay and gorgeous relief to the 
grim visage of iron war, that lurked beneath. 

The army moved towards the hamlet of Zubia, built on the 
skirts of the mountain to the left of Granada, and commanding a 
view of the Alhambra, and the most beautiful quarter of the city. 
As they approached the hamlet, the marques of Villena, the count 
Urena, and Don Alonzo de Aguilar, filed off with their battalions, 
and were soon seen glittering along the side of the mountain 
above the village. In the mean time, the marques of Cadiz, the 
count de Tendilla, the count de Cabra, and Don Alonzo Fernan- 
dez, senior of Alcaudrete and Montemayor, drew up their forces 
in battle array on the plain below the hamlet, presenting a living 
barrier of loyal chivalry between the sovereigns and the city. 

Thus securely guarded, the royal party alighted, and, entering 
one of the houses of the hamlet, which had been prepared for 
their reception, enjoyed a full view of the city from its terraced 
roof. The ladies of the court gazed with delight at the red tow- 
ers of the Alhambra, rising from amid shady groves, anticipat- 
ing the time when the Catholic sovereigns should be enthroned 
within its walls, and its courts shine with the splendor of Spanish 
chivalry. " The reverend prelates and holy friars, who always 
surrounded the queen, looked with serene satisfaction," says Fray 
Antonio Agapida, " at this modern Babylon, enjoying the tri- 
umph that awaited them, when those mosques and minarets 
should be converted into churches, and goodly priests and bishops 
should succeed to the infidel alfaquis." 

When the Moors beheld the Christians thus drawn forth in 
full array in the plain, they supposed it was to offer battle ; and 
hesitated not to accept it. In a little while, the queen beheld a 
body of Moorish cavalry pouring into the vega, the riders mana- 
ging their fleet and fiery steeds with admirable address. They 
were richly armed, and clothed in the most brilliant colors, and 



494 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the caparisons of their steeds flamed with gold and embroidery. 
This was the favorite squadron of Muza, composed of the flower 
of the youthful cavaliers of Granada, ©thers succeeded, some 
heavily armed, othefs a la gineta with lance and buckler ; and 
lastly came the legions of foot- soldiers, with arquebuss and cross- 
bow, and spear and scimetar. 

When the queen saw this army issuing from the city, she sent 
to the marques of Cadiz, and forbade any attack upon the enemy, 
or the acceptance of any challenge to a skirmish ; for she was 
loth that her curiosity should cost the life of a single human being. 

The marques promised to obey, though sorely against his 
will ; and it grieved the spirit of the Spanish cavaliers, to be 
obliged to remain with sheathed swords while bearded by the 
foe. The Moors could not comprehend the meaning of this inac- 
tion of the Christians, after having apparently invited a battle. 
They sallied several times from their ranks, and approached near 
enough to discharge their arrows ; but the Christians were im- 
movable. Many of the Moorish horsemen galloped close to the 
Christian ranks, brandishing their lances and scimetars, and de- 
fying various cavaliers to single combat ; but Ferdinand had rig- 
orously prohibited all duels of the kind, and they dared not 
transgress his orders under his very eye. 

Here, however, the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, in his en- 
thusiasm for the triumphs of the faith, records the following inci- 
dent, which we fear is not sustained by any grave chronicler of 
the times, but rests merely on tradition, or the authority of cer- 
tain poets and dramatic writers, who have perpetuated the tradi- 
tion in their works. While this grim and reluctant tranquillity 
prevailed along the Christian line, says Agapida, there rose a 
mingled shout and sound of laughter near the gate of the city. 
A Moorish horseman, armed at all points, issued forth, followed 
by a rabble, who drew back as he approached the scene of danger. 



PULGAR AND TARFE. 495 



The Moor was more robust and brawny than was common with 
his countrymen. His visor was closed ; he bore a huge buckler 
and a ponderous lance ;' his scimetar was of a Damascus blade, 
and his richly ornamented dagger was wrought by an artificer of 
Fez. He was known by his device to be Tarfe, the most insolent, 
yet valiant, of the Moslem warriors — the same who had hurled 
into the royal camp his lance, inscribed to the queen. As he 
rode slowly along in front of the army, his very steed, prancing 
with fiery eye and distended nostril, seemed to breathe defiance 
to the Christians. 

But what were the feelings of the Spanish cavaliers, when 
they beheld, tied to the tail of his steed, and dragged in the dust, 
the very inscription, " Ave Maria," which Hernan Perez del 
Pulgar had affixed to the door of the mosque ! A burst of horror 
and indignation broke forth from the army. Hernan was not at 
hand, to maintain his previous achievement; but one of his 
young companions in arms, Grarcilasso de la Vega by name, put- 
ting spurs to his horse, galloped to the hamlet of Zubia, threw 
himself on his knees before the king, and besought permission to 
accept the defiance of this insolent infidel, and to revenge the in- 
sult offered to our blessed Lady. The request was too pious to 
be refused : Grarcilasso remounted his steed ; closed his helmet, 
graced by four sable plumes, grasped his buckler of Flemish 
workmanship, and his lance of matchless temper, and defied the 
haughty Moor in the midst of his career. A combat took place, 
in view of the two armies and of the Castilian court. The Moor 
was powerful in wielding his weapons, and dextrous in managiug 
his steed. He was of larger frame than Grarcilasso, and more 
completely armed ; and the Christians trembled for their cham- 
pion. The shock of their encounter was dreadful ; their lances 
were shivered, and sent up splinters in the air. Grarcilasso was 
thrown back in his saddle — his horse made a wide career, before 



496 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



he could recover, gather up the reins, and return to the conflict. 
They now encountered each other with swords. The Moor cir- 
cled round his opponent, as a hawk circles whereabout to make a 
swoop ; his steed obeyed his rider, with matchless quickness ; at 
every attack of the infidel, it seemed as if the Christian knight 
must sink beneath his flashing scimetar. But if Grarcilasso was 
inferior to him in power, he was superior in agility : many of his 
blows he parried ; others he received upon his Flemish shield, 
which was proof against the Damascus blade. The blood streamed 
from numerous wounds received by either warrior. The Moor, 
seeing his antagonist exhausted, availed himself of his superior 
force, and, grappling, endeavored to wrest him from his saddle. 
They both fell to earth ; the Moor placed his knee upon the 
breast of his victim, and, brandishing his dagger, aimed a blow 
at his throat. A cry of despair was uttered by the Christian 
warriors, when suddenly they beheld the Moor rolling lifeless in 
the dust. Grarcilasso had shortened his sword, and, as his adver- 
sary raised his arm to strike, had pierced him to the heart. " It 
was a singular and miraculous victory," says Fray Antonio Aga- 
pida ; " but the Christian knight was armed by the sacred nature 
of his cause, and the holy Virgin gave him strength, like another 
David, to slay this gigantic champion of the Gentiles." 

The laws of chivalry were observed throughout the combat — 
no one interfered on either side. Grarcilasso now despoiled his 
adversary ; then, rescuing the holy inscription of " Ave Maria" 
from its degrading situation, he elevated it on the point of his 
sword, and bore it off as a signal of triumph, amidst the raptu- 
rous shouts of the Christian army. # 

The sun had now reached the meridian ; and the hot blood of 

* The above incident has been commemorated in old Spanish ballads, 
and made the subject of a scene in an old Spanish drama, ascribed by some 
to Lope de Vega. 



THE QUEEN'S SKIRMISH. 497 



the Moors was inflamed by its rays, and by the sight of the de- 
feat of their champion. Muza ordered two pieces of ordnance to 
open a fire upon the Christians. A confusion was produced in 
one part of their ranks : Muza called to the chiefs of the army, 
u Let us waste no more time in empty challenges — let us charge 
upon the enemy : he who assaults has always an advantage in 
the combat." So saying, he rushed forward, followed by a large 
body of horse and foot, and charged so furiously upon the ad- 
vance guard of the Christians, that he drove it in upon the bat- 
talion of the marques of Cadiz. 

The gallant marques now considered himself absolved from 
all further obedience to the queen's commands. He gave the 
signal to attack. " Santiago !" was shouted along the line ; and 
he pressed forward to the encounter, with his battalion of twelve 
hundred lances. The other cavaliers followed his example, and 
the battle instantly became general. 

When the king and queen beheld the armies thus rushing to 
the combat, they threw themselves on their knees, and implored 
the holy virgin to protect her faithful warriors. The prince and 
princess, the ladies of the court, and the prelates and friars who 
were present, did the same ; and the effect of the prayers of these 
illustrious and saintly persons, was immediately apparent. The 
fierceness with which the Moors had rushed to the attack was 
suddenly cooled ; they were bold and adroit for a skirmish, but 
unequal to the veteran Spaniards in the open field. A panic 
seized upon the foot-soldiers — they turned, and took to flight. 
Muza and his cavaliers in vain endeavored to rally them. Some 
took refuge in the mountains ; but the greater part fled to the 
city, in such confusion that they overturned and trampled upon 
each other. The Christians pursued them to the very gates. 
Upwards of two thousand were either killed, wounded, or taken 
prisoners ; and the two pieces of ordnance were brought off as 



498 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



trophies of the victory. Not a Christian lance but was bathed 
that day in the blood of an infidel.* 

Such was the brief but bloody action, which was known among 
the Christian warriors by the name of " the queen's skirmish ;" 
for when the marques of Cadiz waited upon her majesty to apolo- 
gize for breaking her commands, he attributed the victory entirely 
to her presence. The queen, however, insisted that it was all 
owing to her troops being led on by so valiant a commander. 
Her majesty had not yet recovered from her agitation at behold- 
ing so terrible a scene of bloodshed ; though certain veterans 
present pronounced it as gay and gentle a skirmish as they had 
ever witnessed. 

The gayety of this gentle pass at arms, however, was some- 
what marred by a rough reverse in the evening. Certain of 
the Christian cavaliers, among whom were the count de Urefia, 
Don Alonzo Aguilar, his brother Gonsalvo of Cordova, Diego 
Castrillo commander of Calatrava, and others to the number of 
fifty, remained in ambush near Armilla, expecting the Moors 
would sally forth at night to visit the scene of battle and to bury 
their dead. They were discovered by a Moor, who had climbed 
an elm-tree to reconnoitre, and hastened into the city to give no- 
tice of their ambush. Scarce had night fallen when the cavaliers 
found themselves surrounded by a host which in the darkness 
seemed innumerable. The Moors attacked them with sanguinary 
fury, to revenge the disgrace of the morning. The cavaliers 
fought to every disadvantage, overwhelmed by numbers, ignorant 
of the ground, perplexed by thickets .and by the water-courses of 
the gardens, the sluices of which were all thrown open. Even 
retreat was difficult. The count de Urefia was surrounded and 
in imminent peril, from which he was saved by two of his faith- 
ful followers at the sacrifice of their lives. Several cavaliers lost 

* Cura de los Palacios, cap. 101. Zurita, lib. 20, c. 88. 



A NOCTURNAL SKIRMISH. 499 



their horses, and were themselves put to death in the water- 
courses. Gonsalvo of Cordova came near having his own illus- 
trious career cut short in this obscure skirmish. He had fallen 
into a water-course, whence he extricated himself, covered with 
mud, and so encumbered with his armor, that he could not retreat. 
Inigo de Mendoza, a relative of his brother Alonzo, seeing his 
peril, offered him his horse : u Take it Senor," said he, " for you 
cannot save yourself on foot, and I can : but should I fall, take 
care of my wife and daughters." 

Gonsalvo accepted the devoted offer ; mounted the horse, and 
had made but few paces, when a lamentable cry caused him to 
turn his head, and he beheld the faithful Mendoza transfixed by 
Moorish lances. The four principal cavaliers already named, with 
several of their followers, effected their retreat and reached the 
camp in safety ; but this nocturnal reverse obscured the morn- 
ing's triumph. Gonsalvo remembered the last words of the de- 
voted Mendoza, and bestowed a pension on his widow and mar- 
riage portions on his daughters.* 

To commemorate the victory of which she had been an eye- 
witness, queen Isabella afterwards erected a monastery in the 
village of Zubia, dedicated to St. Francisco, which still exists, and 
in its garden is a laurel planted by her hands, f 

* The account of this nocturnal affair, is from Peter Martyr, lib. 4, Epist. 
90, and Pulgar Hazanas del Gran. Capitan, page 188, as cited by Alcantara, 
Hist. Granada, torn. 4, cap. 18. 

f The house whence the king and queen contemplated the battle, is like- 
wise to be seen at the present day. It is the first street to the right on en- 
tering the village from the vega ; and the royal arms are painted on the 
ceilings. It is inhabited by a worthy farmer, Francisco Garcia, who, in 
showing the house to the writer, refused all compensation, with true Span- 
ish pride ; offering on the contrary, the hospitalities of his mansion. His 
children are verged in the old Spanish ballads, about the exploits of Her- 
nan Perez del Pulgar and Garcilasso de la Vega. 



500 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCIV. 

The last ravage before Granada. 

The ravages of war had as yet spared a little portion of the vega 
of Granada. A green belt of gardens and orchards still flourish- 
ed round the city, extending along the banks of the Xenel and 
the Darro. They had been the solace and delight of the inhab- 
itants in their happier days, and contributed to their sustenance 
in this time of scarcity. Ferdinand determined to make a final 
and exterminating ravage to the very walls of the city, so that 
there should not remain a single green thing for the sustenance 
of man or beast. The eighth of July was the day appointed for 
this act of desolation. Boabdil was informed by his spies of the 
intention of the Christian king, and prepared to make a desperate 
defence. Hernando de Baeza, a Christian, who resided with 
the royal family in the Alhambra as interpreter, gives in a man- 
uscript memoir an account of the parting of Boabdil from his 
family as he went forth to battle. At an early hour of the ap- 
pointed day, the eighth of July, he bathed and perfumed himself 
as the Moors of high rank were accustomed to do when they 
went forth to peril their lives. Arrayed in complete armor he 
took leave of his mother, his wife and his sister, in the ante- 
chamber of the tower of Comares. Ayxa la Horra, with her 
usual dignity, bestowed on him her benediction, and gave him her 



THE LAST RAVAGE. 501 



hand to kiss. It was a harder parting with his son and his daugh- 
ter ; who hung round him with sobs and tears ; the duenas and 
doncellas too of the royal household made the halls of the Alham- 
bra resound with their lamentations. He then mounted his horse 
and put himself in front of his squadrons.* 

The Christian army approached close to the city, and were 
laying waste the gardens and orchards, when Boabdil sallied 
forth, surrounded by all that was left of the flower and chivalry 
of Granada. There is one place where even the coward becomes 
brave — that sacred spot called home. What then must have 
been the valor of the Moors, a people always of chivalrous spirit, 
when the war was thus brought to their thresholds ! They fought 
among the scenes of their loves and pleasures ; the scenes of 
their infancy, and the haunts of their domestic life. They fought 
under the eyes of their wives and children, their old men and 
their maidens, of all that was helpless and all that was dear to 
them ; for all Granada, crowded on tower and battlement, watched 
with trembling heart the fate of this eventful day. 

There was not so much one battle, as a variety of battles ; 
every garden and orchard became a scene of deadly contest; 
every inch of ground was disputed, with an agony of grief and 
valor, by the Moors ; every inch of ground that the Christians 
advanced, they valiantly maintained ; but never did they ad- 
vance with severer fighting, or greater loss of blood. 

The cavalry of Muza was in every part of the field ; wherever 
it came, it gave fresh ardor to the fight. The Moorish soldier, 
fainting with heat, fatigue, and wounds, was roused to new life at 
the approach of Muza ; and even he who lay gasping in the ago- 
nies of death, turned his face towards him, and faintly uttered 
cheers and blessings as he passed. 

* Hernando de Baeza as cited by Alcantara, Hist. Granada, t. 4, c. 18. 



502 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The Christians had by this time gained possession of various 
towers near the city, whence they had been annoyed by cross- 
bows and arquebusses. The Moors, scattered in various actions, 
were severely pressed. Boabdil, at the head of the cavaliers of 
his guard, mingling in the fight in various parts of the field, 
endeavored to inspirit the foot-soldiers to the combat. But the 
Moorish infantry was never to be depended upon. In the heat 
of the action, a panic seized upon them ; they fled, leaving their 
sovereign exposed with his handful of cavaliers to an overwhelm- 
ing force. Boabdil was on the point of falling into the hands of 
the Christians, when, wheeling round, he and his followers threw 
the reins on the necks of their steeds, and took refuge by dint of 
hoof within the walls of the city.* 

Muza endeavored to retrieve the fortune of the field. He 
threw himself before the retreating infantry, calling upon them to 
turn and fight for their homes, ther families, for every thing sa- 
cred and dear to them. All in vain : — totally broken and dis- 
mayed, they fled tumultuously for the gates. Muza would fain 
have kept the field with his cavalry ; but this devoted band, hav- 
ing stood the brunt of war throughout this desperate campaign, 
was fearfully reduced in numbers, and many of the survivors 
were crippled and enfeebled by their wounds. Slowly and reluc- 
tantly, therefore, he retreated to the city, his bosom swelling with 
indignation and despair. Entering the gates, he ordered them 
to be closed, and secured with bolts and bars ; for he refused to 
place any further confidence in the archers and arquebusiers sta- 
tioned to defend them, and vowed never more to sally with foot- 
soldiers to the field. 

In the mean time the artillery thundered from the walls, and 
checked all further advance of the Christians. King Ferdinand, 

* Zurita, lib. 20, c. 88. 



DESPAIRING VALOR OF THE MOORS. 503 



therefore, called off his troops, and returned in triumph to the 
ruins of his camp, leaving the beautiful city of Granada wrapped 
in the smoke of her fields and gardens, and surrounded by the 
bodies of her slaughtered children. 

Such was the last sally of the Moors, in defence of their fa- 
vorite city. The French ambassador, who witnessed it, was 
filled with wonder, at the prowess, the dexterity, and daring of 
the Moslems. 

In truth, this whole war was an instance, memorable in his- 
tory, of the most persevering resolution. For nearly ten years 
had the war endured — an almost uninterrupted series of disas- 
ters to the Moorish arms. Their towns had been taken, one after 
another, and their brethren slain or led into captivity. Yet 
they disputed every city and town, and fortress and castle, nay 
every rock itself, as if they had been inspirited by victories. 
Wherever they could plant foot to fight, or find wall or cliff 
whence to launch an arrow, they disputed their beloved country ; 
and now, when their capital was cut off from all relief, and a 
whole nation thundered at its gates, they still maintained defence, 
as if they hoped some miracle to interpose in their behalf. Their 
obstinate resistance (says an ancient chronicler) shows the grief 
with which they yielded up the vega, which was to them a para- 
dise and heaven. Exerting all the strength of their arms, they 
embraced, as it were, that most beloved soil, from which neither 
wounds, nor defeats, nor death itself, could part them. They 
stood firm, battling for it with the united force of love and grief, 
never drawing back the foot while they had hands to fight, or 
fortune to befriend them.* 

* Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, R. 30, c. 3. 



504 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCV. 

Conflagration of the Christian Camp. Building of Santa F6. 

The Moors now shut themselves up gloomily within their walls ; 
there were no longer any daring sallies from their gates ; and 
ever the martial clangor of the drum and trumpet, which had 
continually resounded within that warrior city, was now seldom 
heard from its battlements. In the midst of this deep despond- 
ency, a signal disaster in the Christian camp, for a moment lit up 
a ray of hope in the bosom of the Moors. 

The setting sun of a hot summer's day, on the 10th of July, 
shone splendidly upon the Christian camp, which was in a bustle 
of preparation for the next day's service, when an attack was me- 
ditated on the city. The camp made a glorious appearance. 
The various tents of the royal family and the attendant nobles, 
were adorned with rich hangings, and sumptuous devices, and 
costly furniture ; forming, as it were, a little city of silk and 
brocade, where the pinnacles of pavilions of various gay colors, 
surmounted with waving standards and flattering pennons, might 
vie with the domes and minarets of the capital they were be- 
sieging. 

In the midst of this little gaudy metropolis, the lofty tent of 
the queen domineered over the rest like a stately palace. The 
marques of Cadiz had courteously surrendered his own tent to 
the queen : it was the most complete and sumptuous in Christen- 



THE CONFLAGRATION. 505 



dom, and had been carried about with him throughout the war. 
In the centre rose a stately alfaneque or pavilion, in oriental 
taste, the rich hangings being supported by columns of lances, 
and ornamented with martial devices. This central pavilion, or 
silken tower, was surrounded by other compartments, some of 
painted linen lined with silk, and all separated from each other 
by curtains. It was one of those camp palaces which are raised 
and demolished in an instant, like the city of canvas which sur- 
rounds them. 

As the evening advanced, the bustle in the camp subsided. 
Every one sought repose, preparatory to the next day's trial. 
The king retired early, that he might be up with the crowing of 
the cock, to head the destroying army in person. All stir of mi- 
litary preparation was hushed in the royal quarters ; the very 
sound of minstrelsy was mute, and not the tinkling of a guitar 
was to be heard from the tents of the fair ladies of the court. 

The queen had retired to the innermost part of her pavilion, 
where she was performing her orisons before a private altar ; per- 
haps the peril to which the king might be exposed in the next 
day's foray, inspired her with more than usual devotion. While 
thus at her prayers, she was suddenly aroused by a glare of light, 
and wreaths of suffocating smoke. In an instant, the whole tent 
was in a blaze : there was a high gusty wind, which whirled the 
light flames from tent to tent, and wrapped the whole in one con- 
flagration. 

Isabella had barely time to save herself by instant flight. 
Her first thought, on being extricated from her tent, was for the 
safety of the king She rushed to his tent, but the vigilant Fer- 
dinand was already at the entrance of it. Starting from bed on 
the first alarm, and fancying it an assault of the enemy, he had 
seized his sword and buckler, and sallied forth undressed, with 
his cuirass upon his arm. 
22 



506 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The late gorgeous camp was now a scene of wild confusion. 
The flames kept spreading from one pavilion to another, glaring 
upon the rich armor, and golden and silver vessels, which seemed 
melting in the fervent heat. Many of the soldiers had erected 
booths and bowers of branches, which, being dry, crackled and 
blazed, and added to the rapid conflagration. The ladies of the 
court fled, shrieking and half-dressed, from their tents. There 
was an alarm of drum and trumpet, and a distracted hurry about 
the camp of men half armed. The prince Juan had been snatched 
out of bed by an attendant, and conveyed to the quarters of the 
count de Cabra, which were at the entrance of the camp. The 
loyal count immediately summoned his people, and those of his 
cousin Don Alonzo de Montemayor, and formed a guard round 
the tent in which the prince was sheltered. 

The idea that this was a stratagem of the Moors, soon sub- 
sided ; but it was feared they might take advantage of it, to as- 
sault the camp. The marques of Cadiz, therefore, sallied forth 
with three thousand horse, to check any advance from the city. 
As they passed along, the whole camp was a scene of hurry and 
consternation — some hastening to their posts, at the call of drum 
and trumpet ; some attempting to save rich effects and glittering 
armor from the tents, others dragging along terrified and restive 
horses. 

When they emerged from the camp, they found the whole 
firmament illuminated. The flames whirled up in long light 
spires, and the air was filled with sparks and cinders. A bright 
glare was thrown upon the city, revealing every battlement and 
tower. Turbaned heads were seen gazing from every roof, and 
armor gleamed along the walls ; yet not a single warrior sallied 
from the gates : the Moors suspected some stratagem on the part 
of the Christians, and kept quietly within their walls. By de- 
grees, the flames expired ; the city faded from sight ; all again 



HOPE OF THE MOORS. 507 



became dark and quiet, and the marques of Cadiz returned with 
his cavalry to the camp. 

When the day dawned on the Christian camp, nothing remained 
of that beautiful assemblage of stately pavilions, but heaps of 
smouldering rubbish, with helms and corselets and other furniture 
of war, and masses of melted gold and silver glittering among 
the ashes. The wardrobe of the queen was entirely destroyed, 
and there was an immense loss in plate, jewels, costly stuffs, and 
sumptuous armor of the luxurious nobles. The fire at first had 
been attributed to treachery, but on investigation it proved to be 
entirely accidental. The queen, on retiring to her prayers, had 
ordered her lady in attendance to remove a light burning near 
her couch, lest it should prevent her sleeping. Through heedless- 
ness, the taper was placed in another part of the tent, near the 
hangings, which," being blown against it by a gust of wind, imme- 
diately took fire. 

The wary Ferdinand knew the sanguine temperament of the 
Moors, and hastened to prevent their deriving confidence from 
the night's disaster. At break of day, the drums and trumpets 
sounded to arms, and the Christian army issued forth from among 
the smoking ruins of their camp, in shining squadrons, with 
flaunting banners and bursts of martial melody, as though the 
preceding night had been a time of high festivity, instead of terror. 

The Moors had beheld the conflagration with wonder and per- 
plexity. When the day broke, and they looked towards the 
Christian camp, they saw nothing but a dark smoking mass. 
Their scouts came in with the joyful intelligence that the whole 
camp was a scene of ruin. In the exultation of the moment, 
they flattered themselves with hopes that the catastrophe would 
discourage the besiegers ; that as in former years, their invasion 
would end with the summer and they would withdraw before the 
autumnal rains. 



508 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The measures of Ferdinand and Isabella soon crushed these 
hopes. They gave orders to build a regular city upon the site of 
their camp, to convince the Moors that the siege was to endure 
until the surrender of Granada. Nine of the principal cities of 
Spain were charged with this stupendous undertaking ; and they 
emulated each other, with a zeal worthy of the cause. " It verily 
seems," says Fray Antonio Agapida, u as though some miracle op- 
erated to aid this pious work, so rapidly did arise a formidable city, 
with solid edifices, and powerful walls, and mighty towers, where 
lately had been seen nothing but tents and light pavilions. The 
city was traversed by two principal streets in form of a cross, ter- 
minating in four gates facing the four winds ; and in the centre 
was a vast square, where the whole army might be assembled. 
To this city it was proposed to give the name of Isabella, so dear 
to the army and the nation ; " but that pious princess," adds An- 
tonio Agapida, " calling to mind the holy cause in which it was 
erected, gave it the name of Santa Fe, (or the City of the Holy 
Faith ;) and it remains to this day, a monument of the piety and 
glory of the Catholic sovereigns." 

Hither the merchants soon resorted, from all points. Long 
trains of mules were seen every day entering and departing from 
its gates ; the streets were crowded with magazines, filled with all 
kinds of costly and luxurious merchandise ; a scene of bustling 
commerce and prosperity took place, while unhappy Granada re- 
mained shut up and desolate. 



A COUNCIL OF WAR. 509 



CHAPTER XCVI. 

Famine and discord in the city. 

The besieged city now began to suffer the distress of famine. Its 
supplies were all cut off; a cavalgada of flocks and herds, and 
mules laden with money, coming to the relief of the city from 
the mountains of the Alpuxarras, was taken by the marques of 
Cadiz, and led in triumph to the camp, in sight of the suffering 
Moors. Autumn arrived ; but the harvests had been swept from 
the face of the country ; a rigorous winter was approaching, and 
the city was almost destitute of provisions. The people sank 
into deep despondency. They called to mind all that had been 
predicted by astrologers at the birth of their ill-starred sovereign, 
and all that had been foretold of the fate of Granada at the time 
of the capture of Zahara. 

Boabdil was alarmed by the gathering dangers from without, 
and by the clamors of his starving people. He summoned a 
council, composed of the principal officers of the army, the al- 
caydes of the fortresses, the xequis or sages of the city, and the 
alfaquis or doctors of the faith. They assembled in the great 
hall of audience of the Alhambra, and despair was painted in 
their countenances. Boabdil demanded of them, what was to be 
done in the present extremity ; and their answer was, u Sur- 
render." The venerable Abul Cazim, governor of the city, rep- 



510 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



resented its unhappy state : " Our granaries are nearly exhausted, 
and no further supplies are to be expected. The provender for 
the war-horses is required as sustenance for the soldiery ; the 
very horses themselves are killed for food ; of seven thousand 
steeds which once could be sent into the field, three hundred only 
remain. Our city contains two hundred thousand inhabitants, 
old and young, with each a mouth that calls piteously for bread." 

The xequis and principal citizens declared that the people 
could no longer sustain the labors and sufferings of a defence : 
" And of what avail is our defence," said they, " when the enemy 
is determined to persist in the siege ? — what alternative remains, 
but to surrender or to die ?" 

The heart of Boabdil was touched by this appeal, and he 
maintained a gloomy silence. He had cherished some faint hope 
of relief from the soldan of Egypt or the Barbary powers ; but 
it was now at an end ; even if such assistance were to be sent, he 
had no longer a seaport where it might debark. The counsellors 
saw that the resolution of the king was shaken, and they united 
their voices in urging him to capitulate. 

Muza alone rose in opposition : " It is yet too early," said he, 
" to talk of a surrender. Our means are not exhausted ; we have 
yet one source of strength remaining, terrible in its effects, and 
which often has achieved the most signal victories — it is our de- 
spair. Let us rouse the mass of the people — let us put weapons 
in their hands — let us fight the enemy to the very utmost, until 
we rush upon the points of their lances. I am ready to lead the 
way into the thickest of their squadrons ; and much rather would 
I be numbered among those who fell in the defence of Granada, 
than of those who survived to capitulate for her surrender !" 

The words of Muza were without effect, for they were ad- 
dressed to broken-spirited and heartless men, or men, perhaps, to 
whom sad experience had taught discretion. They were arrived 






MISSION OF ABUL CAZIM. 511 



at that state of public depression, when heroes and heroism are 
no longer regarded, and when old men and their counsels rise 
into importance. Boabdil el Chico yielded to the general voice ; 
it was determined to capitulate with the Christian sovereigns ; 
and the venerable Abul Cazim was sent forth to the camp, em- 
powered to treat for terms. 



513 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCVIL 

Capitulation of Granada. 

The old governor Abul Cazim was received with great courtesy by 
Ferdinand and Isabella, who being informed of the purport of 
his embassy, granted the besieged a truce of sixty days from 
the 5th of October, and appointed Glonsalvo of Cordova, and Fer- 
nando de Zafra, the secretary of the king, to treat about the terms 
of surrender with such commissioners as might be named by Bo- 
abdil. The latter on his part named Abul Cazim, Aben Comixa 
the vizier, and the grand cadi. As a pledge of good faith, Boab- 
dil gave his son in hostage, who was taken to Moclin, where he 
was treated with the greatest respect and attention by the good 
count de Tendilla, as general of the frontier. 

The commissioners on both parts, held repeated conferences 
in secret in the dead of the night, at the village of Churriana ; those 
who first arrived at the place of meeting giving notice to the 
others by signal-fires, or by means of spies. x\fter many debates 
and much difliculty, the capitulation was signed on the 25th of 
November. According to this, the city was to be delivered up, 
with all its gates, towers and fortresses, within sixty days. 

All Christian captives should be liberated, without ransom. 

Boabdil and his principal cavaliers should perform the act of 
homage, and take an oath of fealty to the Castilian crown. 

The Moors of Granada should become subjects of the Spanish 



ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION. 513 



sovereigns, retaining their possessions, their arms and horses, and 
yielding up nothing but their artillery. They should be pro- 
tected in the exercise of their religion, and governed by their own 
laws, administered by cadis of their own faith, under governors 
appointed by the sovereigns. They should be exempted from 
tribute for three years, after which term they should pay the same 
that they had been accustomed to render to their native monarchs. 

Those who chose to depart for Africa within three years, 
should be provided with a passage for themselves and their 
effects, free of charge, from whatever port they should prefer. 

For the fulfilment of these articles, five hundred hostages 
from the principal families were required, previous to the sur- 
render, who should be treated with great respect and distinction 
by the Christians, and subsequently restored. The son of the 
king of Granada, and all other hostages in possession of the Cas- 
tilian sovereigns, were to be restored at the same time. 

Such are the main articles affecting the public weal, which 
were agreed upon after much discussion, by the mixed commis- 
sion. There were other articles, however, secretly arranged, 
which concerned the royal family. These secured to Boabdil, to 
his wife Morayma, his mother Ayxa, his brothers, and to Zo- 
raya, the widow of Muley Abul Hassan, all the landed posses- 
sions, houses, mills, baths, and other hereditaments which formed 
the royal patrimony, with the power of selling them, personally or 
by agent, at any and all times. To Boabdil was secured, more- 
over, his wealthy estates, both in and out of Granada, and to him 
and his descendants in perpetuity, the lordships of various towns 
and lands and fertile valleys in the Alpuxarras, forming a petty 
sovereignty. In addition to all which it was stipulated, that, on 
the day of surrender, he should receive thirty thousand castel- 
lanos of gold. # 

* Alcantara, t. 4, c. 18. 

22* 



514 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



The conditions of surrender being finally agreed upon by the 
commissioners, Abul Cazim proceeded to the royal camp at Santa 
Fe, where they were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella ; he then 
returned to Granada, accompanied by Fernando de Zafra, the 
royal secretary, to have the same ratified also by the Moorish 
king. Boabdil assembled his council, and with a dejected coun- 
tenance laid before it the articles of capitulation as the best that 
could be obtained from the besieging foe. 

When the members of the council found the awful moment 
arrived when they were to sign and seal the perdition of their 
empire, and blot themselves out as a nation, all firmness deserted 
them, and many gave way to tears. Muza alone retained an un- 
altered mien : " Leave, seniors," cried he, " this idle lamentation 
to helpless women and children : we are men — we have hearts, 
not to shed tender tears, but drops of blood. I see the spirit of 
the people so cast down, that it is impossible to save the king 
dom. Yet there still remains an alternative for noble minds — 
a glorious death ! Let us die defending our liberty, and avenging 
the woes of Granada. Our mother earth will receive her chil- 
dren into her bosom, safe from the chains and oppressions of the 
conqueror ; or, should any fail a sepulchre to hide his remains, 
he will not want a sky to cover him. Allah forbid it should be 
said the nobles of Granada feared to die in her defence !" 

Muza ceased to speak, and a dead silence reigned in the as- 
sembly. Boabdil looked anxiously round, and scanned every 
face ; but he read in all the anxiety of care-worn men, in whose 
hearts enthusiasm was dead, and who had grown callous to every 
chivalrous appeal. " Allah Achbar I" exclaimed he ; " there is ' 
no God but God, and Mahomet is his prophet ! We have no 
longer forces in the city and the kingdom to resist our powerful 
enemies. It is in vain to struggle against the will of Heaven. 






LAST WORDS OF MUZA. 515 



Too surely was it written in the book of fate, that I should be 
unfortunate, and the kingdom expire under my rule." 

" Allah Achbar I" echoed the viziers and alfaquis ; " the will 
of Grod be done I" So they all agreed with the king, that these 
evils were pre-ordained ; that it was hopeless to contend with 
them ; and that the terms offered by the Castilian monarchs 
were as favorable as could be expected. 

When Muza heard them assent to the treaty of surrender, he 
rose in violent indignation : " Do not deceive yourselves," cried 
he, " nor think the Christians will be faithful to their promises, 
or their king as magnanimous in conquest as he has been victo- 
rious in war. Death is the least we have to fear. It is the plun- 
dering and sacking of our city, the profanation of our mosques, 
the ruin of our homes, the violation of our wives and daughters, 
cruel oppression, bigoted intolerance, whips and chains, the dun- 
geon, the fagot, and the stake — such are the miseries and indig- 
nities we shall see and suffer ; at least, those grovelling souls will 
see and suffer them, who now shrink from an honorable death. 
For my part, by Allah, I will never witness them !" 

With these words he left the council-chamber, and passed 
gloomily through the Court of Lions, and the outer halls of the 
Alhambra, without deigning to speak to the obsequious courtiers 
who attended in them. He repaired to his dwelling, armed him- 
self at all points, mounted his favorite war-horse, and, issuing 
from the city by the gate of Elvira, was never seen or heard of 
more.* 

* Conde, part 4. 



516 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCVIII. 

Commotions in Granada. 

The capitulation for the surrender of Granada was signed on the 
25th of November, 1481, and produced a sudden cessation of 
those hostilities which had raged for so many years. Christian 
and Moor might now be seen mingling courteously on the banks 
of the Xenel and the Darro, where to have met a few days pre- 
vious would have produced a scene of sanguinary contest. Still, 
as the Moors might be suddenly roused to defence, if, within the 
allotted term of sixty days, succors should arrive from abroad ; 
and as they were at all times a rash, inflammable people, the wary 
Ferdinand maintained a vigilant watch upon the city, and per- 
mitted no supplies of any kind to enter. His garrisons in the 
sea-ports, and his cruisers in the Straits of Gibraltar, were or- 
dered likewise to guard against any relief from the grand soldan 
of Egypt, or the princes of Barbary. There was no need of such 
precautions. Those powers were either too much engrossed by 
their own wars, or too much daunted by the success of the Span- 
ish arms, to interfere in a desperate cause ; and the unfortunate 
Moors of Granada were abandoned to their fate. 

The month of December had nearly passed away . the famine 
became extreme, and there was no hope of any favorable event 
within the term specified in the capitulation. Boabdil saw, that 
to hold out to the end of the allotted time would but be to pro- 



REAPPEARANCE OF THE SANTON. 517 



tract the miseries of his people. With the consent of his coun- 
cil, he determined to surrender the city on the sixth of January. 
He accordingly sent his grand vizier, Yusef Aben Comixa, to 
king Ferdinand, to make known his intention ; bearing him, at 
the same time, a present of a magnificent scimetar, and two Ara- 
bian steeds superbly caparisoned. 

The unfortunate Boabdil was doomed to meet with trouble, 
to the end of his career. The very next day T the santon or der- 
vise, Hamet Aben Zarrax, the same who had uttered prophecies 
and excited commotions on former occasions, suddenly made his 
appearance. Whence he came no one knew; it was rumored 
that he had been in the mountains of the Alpuxarras, and on the 
coast of Barbary, endeavoring to rouse the Moslems to the relief 
of Granada. He was reduced to a skeleton ; his eyes glowed 
like coals in their sockets, and his speech was little better than 
frantic raving. He harangued the populace, in the streets and 
squares ; inveighed against the capitulation, denounced the king 
and nobles as Moslems only in name, and called upon the people 
to sally forth against the unbelievers, for that Allah had decreed 
them a signal victory. 

Upwards of twenty thousand of the populace seized their 
arms, and paraded the streets with shouts and outcries. The 
shops and houses were shut up ; the king himself did not dare to 
venture forth, but remained a kind of prisoner in the Alhambra. 

The turbulent multitude continued roaming and shouting and 
howling about the city, during the day and a part of the night. 
Hunger, and a wintry tempest, tamed their frenzy ; and when 
morning came, the enthusiast who had led them on had disap- 
peared. Whether he had been disposed of by the emissaries of 
the king, or by the leading men of the city, is not known : his 
disappearance remains a mystery.* 

* Mariana. 



518 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



Boabdil now issued from the Alhambra, attended by his prin- 
cipal nobles, and harangued the populace. He set forth the ne- 
cessity of complying with the capitulation, from the famine that 
reigned in the city, the futility of defence, and from the hostages 
having already been delivered into the hands of the besiegers. 

In the dejection of his spirits, the unfortunate Boabdil attri- 
buted to himself the miseries of the country. u It was my crime 
in ascending the throne in rebellion against my father," said he 
mournfully, " which has brought these woes upon the kingdom ; 
but Allah has grievously visited my sins upon my head. For 
your sake, my people, I have now made this treaty, to protect 
you from the sword, your little ones from famine, your wives and 
daughters from outrage ; and to secure you in the enjoyment of 
your properties, your liberties, your laws, and your religion, un- 
der a sovereign of happier destinies than the ill-starred Boabdil." 

The versatile population were touched by the humility of 
their sovereign — they agreed to adhere to the capitulation, and 
there was even a faint shout of " Long live Boabdil the unfortu- 
nate !" and they all returned to their homes in perfect tran- 
quillity. 

Boabdil immediately sent missives to king Ferdinand, ap- 
prising him of these events, and of his fears lest further delay 
should produce new tumults. The vizier Yusef Aben Comixa 
was again the agent between the monarchs. He was received 
with unusual courtesy and attention by Ferdinand and Isabella, 
and it was arranged between them that the surrender should take 
place on the second day of January instead of the sixth. A new 
difficulty now arose in regard to the ceremonial of surrender. 
The haughty Ayxa la Horra, whose pride rose with the decline of 
her fortunes, declared that, as sultana mother, she would never 
consent that her son should stoop to the humiliation of kissing 
the hand of his conquerors, and, unless this part of the ceremo- 



HAUGHTY SCRUPLES OF AYXA. 519 



nial were modified, she would find means to resist a surrender ac- 
companied by such indignities. 

Aben Comixa was sorely troubled by this opposition. He 
knew the high spirit of the indomitable Ayxa, and her influence 
over her less heroic son, and wrote an urgent letter on the subject 
to his friend, the count de Tendilla. The latter imparted the 
circumstance to the Christian sovereigns ; a council was called on 
the matter. Spanish pride and etiquette were obliged to bend in 
some degree to the haughty spirit of a woman. It was agreed 
that Boabdil should sally forth on horseback, that on approaching 
the Spanish sovereigns he should make a slight movement as if 
about to draw his foot from the stirrup and dismount, but would 
be prevented from doing so by Ferdinand, who should treat him 
with a respect due to his dignity and elevated birth. The count 
de Tendilla dispatched a messenger with this arrangement ; and 
the haughty scruples of Ayxa la Horra were satisfied.* 

* Salazar de Mendoza. Chron. del Gran. Cardinal, lib. 1. c. 69, p. 1. 
Mondajar His. MS., as cited by Alcantara, t. 4, c. 18. 



520 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



CHAPTER XCIX. 

Surrender of Granada. 

The night preceding the surrender was a night of doleful lament- 
ings, within the walls of the Alhambra ; for the household of Bo- 
abdil were preparing to take a last farewell of that delightful 
abode. All the royal treasures, and most precious effects, were 
hastily packed upon mules ; the beautiful apartments were de- 
spoiled, with tears and wailings, by their own inhabitants. Before 
the dawn of day, a mournful cavalcade moved obscurely out of a 
postern-gate of the Alhambra, and departed through one of the 
most retired quarters of the city. It was composed of the family 
of the unfortunate Boabdil, which he sent off thus privately, that 
they might not be exposed to the eyes of scoffers, or the exulta- 
tion of the enemy. The mother of Boabdil, the sultana Ayxa la 
Horra, rode on in silence, with dejected yet dignified demeanor ; 
but his wife Zorayma, and all the females of his household, gave 
way to loud lamentations, as they looked back upon their favorite 
abode, now a mass of gloomy towers behind them. They were 
attended by the ancient domestics of the household, and by a 
small guard of veteran Moors, loyally attached to the fallen mon- 
arch, and who would have sold their lives dearly in defence of his 
family. The city was yet buried in sleep, as they passed through 
its silent streets. The guards at the gate shed tears, as they 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE SURRENDER. 521 



opened it for their departure. They paused not, but proceeded 
along the banks of the Xenel on the road that leads to the Alpux- 
arras, until they arrived at a hamlet at some distance from the 
city, where they halted, and waited until they should be joined 
by king Boabdil. 

The night which had passed so gloomily in the sumptuous 
halls of the Alhambra, had been one of joyful anticipation in the 
Christian camp. In the evening proclamation had been made 
that Granada was to be surrendered on the following day, and the 
troops were all ordered to assemble at an early hour under their 
several banners. The cavaliers, pages, and esquires were all 
charged to array themselves in their richest and most splendid 
style, for the occasion ; and even the royal family determined to 
lay by the mourning they had recently assumed for the sudden 
death of the prince of Portugal, the husband of the princess Isa- 
bella. In a clause of the capitulation it had been stipulated that 
the troops destined to take possession, should not traverse the 
city, but should ascend to the Alhambra by a road opened for the 
purpose outside of the walls. This was to spare the feelings of 
the afflicted inhabitants, and to prevent any angry collision be- 
tween them and their conquerors. So rigorous was Ferdinand in 
enforcing this precaution, that the soldiers were prohibited under 
pain of death from leaving the ranks to enter into the city. 

The rising sun had scarce shed his rosy beams upon the snowy 
summits of the Sierra Nevada, when three signal guns boomed 
heavily from the lofty fortress of the Alhambra. It was the con- 
certed sign that all was ready for the surrender. The Christian 
army forthwith poured out of the city, or rather camp of Santa 
Fe, and advanced across the vega. The king and queen, with the 
prince and princess, the dignitaries and ladies of the court, took 
the lead, accompanied by the different orders of monks and friars, 
and surrounded by the royal guards splendidly arrayed. The 



CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



procession moved slowly forward, and paused at the village of 
Armilla, at the distance of half a league from the city. 

In the mean time, the grand cardinal of Spain, Don Pedro 
Gonzalez de Mendoza, escorted by three thousand foot and a 
troop of cavalry, and accompanied by the commander Don Gu- 
tierrez de Cardenas, and a number of prelates and hidalgos, 
crossed the Xenel and proceeded in the advance, to ascend to the 
Alhambra and take possession of that royal palace and fortress. 
The road which had been opened for the purpose led by the 
Puerta de los Molinos, or gate of mills, up a defile to the esplan- 
ade on the summit of the Hill of Martyrs. At the approach of 
this detachment, the Moorish king sallied forth from a postern 
gate of the Alhambra, having left his vizier Yusef Aben Comixa 
to deliver up the palace. The gate by which he sallied passed 
through a lofty tower of the outer wall, called the tower of the 
seven floors (de los siete suelos). He was accompanied by fifty 
cavaliers, and approached the grand cardinal on foot. The latter 
immediately alighted, and advanced to meet him with the utmost 
respect. They stepped aside a few paces, and held a brief con- 
versation in an under tone, when Boabdil, raising his voice, ex- 
claimed, u Go, Senor, and take possession of those fortresses in 
the name of the powerful sovereigns, to whom God has been 
pleased to deliver them in reward of their great merits, and in 
punishment of the sins of the Moors." The grand cardinal 
sought to console him in his reverses, and offered him the use of 
his own tent during any time he might sojourn in the camp. 
Boabdil thanked him for the courteous offer, adding some words 
of melancholy import, and then taking leave of him gracefully, 
passed mournfully on to meet the Catholic sovereigns, descending 
to the vega by the same road by which the cardinal had come. 
The latter, with the prelates and cavaliers who attended him, en- 
tered the Alhambra, the gates of which were thrown wide open 






THE SURRENDER. 523 



by the alcayde Aben Comixa. At the same time the Moorish 
guards yielded up their arms, and the towers and battlements 
were taken possession of by the Christian troops. 

While these transactions were passing in the Alhambra and 
its vicinity, the sovereigns remained with their retinue and guards 
near the village of Armilla, their eyes fixed on the towers of the 
royal fortress, watching for the appointed signal of possession. 
The time that had elapsed since the departure of the detachment 
seemed to them more than necessary for the purpose, and the 
anxious mind of Ferdinand began to entertain doubts of some 
commotion in the city. At length they saw the silver cross, the 
great standard of this crusade, elevated on the Torre de la Vela, 
or Great Watch-Tower, and sparkling in the sunbeams. This 
was done by Hernando de Talavera, bishop of Avila. Beside it 
was planted the pennon of the glorious apostle St. James, and a 
great shout of " Santiago ! Santiago !" rose throughout the army. 
Lastly was reared the royal standard by the king of arms, with 
the shout of " Castile ! Castile ! For king Ferdinand and queen 
Isabella !" The words were echoed by the whole army, with ac- 
clamations that resounded across the vega. At sight of these 
signals of possession, the sovereigns sank upon their knees, giv- 
ing thanks to God for this great triumph ; the whole assembled 
host followed their example, and the choristers of the royal 
chapel broke forth into the solemn anthem of " Te JDeum lauda- 
mus. 11 

The king now advanced with a splendid escort of cavalry and 
the sound of trumpets, until he came to a small mosque near the 
banks of the Xenel, and not far from the foot of the Hill of 
Martyrs, which edifice remains to the present day consecrated as 
the hermitage of St. Sebastian. Here he beheld the unfortunate 
king of Granada approaching on horseback, at the head of his 
slender retinue. Boabdil, as he drew near made a movement to 



524 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



dismount, but, as had previously been concerted, Ferdinand pre- 
vented him. He then offered to kiss the king's hand, which ac- 
cording to arrangement was likewise declined, whereupon he 
leaned forward and kissed the king's right arm ; at the same time 
he delivered the keys of the city with an air of mingled melan- 
choly and resignation : " These keys," said he, " are the last 
relics of the Arabian empire in Spain : thine, oh king, are our 
trophies, our kingdom, and our person. Such is the will of God ! 
Receive them with the clemency thou hast promised, and which 
we look for at thy hands."* 

King Ferdinand restrained his exultation into an air of serene 
magnanimity. " Doubt not our promises," replied he, " nor that 
thou shalt regain from our friendship the prosperity of which the 
fortune of war has deprived thee." 

Being informed that Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, the good 
count of Tendilla, was to be governor of the city, Boabdil drew 
from his finger a gold ring set with a precious stone, and present- 
ed it to the count. " With this ring," said he, " Granada has 
been governed ; take it and govern with it, and God make you 
more fortunate than I."f 

He then proceeded to the village of Armilla, where the queen 
Isabella remained with her escort and attendants. The queen, 
like her husband, declined all act of homage, and received him 
with her accustomed grace and benignity. She at the same time 
delivered to him his son, who had been held as a hostage for the 
fulfilment of the capitulation. Boabdil pressed his child to his 

* Abarca, Anales de Aragon, Rey 30, c. 3. 

t This ring remained in the possession of the descendants of the count 
until the death of the marques Don Inigo, the last male heir, who died in 
Malaga without children, in 1656. The ring was then lost through inad- 
vertence and ignorance of its value, Dona Maria, the sister of the marques, 
being absent in Madrid. Alcantara, 1. 4, c. 18. 



THE LAST SIGH OF THE MOOR. 525 



bosom with tender emotion, and they seemed mutually endeared 
to each other by their misfortunes.* 

Having rejoined his family, the unfortunate Boabdil contin- 
ued on towards the Alpuxarras, that he might not behold the en- 
trance of the Christians into his capital. His devoted band of 
cavaliers followed him in gloomy silence ; but heavy sighs burst 
from their bosoms, as shouts of joy and strains of triumphant 
music were borne on the breeze from the victorious army. 

Having rejoined his family, Boabdil set forward with a heavy 
heart for his allotted residence in the valley of Purchena. At 
two leagues' distance, the cavalcade, winding into the skirts of the 
Alpuxarras, ascended an eminence commanding the last view of 
Granada. As they arrived at this spot, the Moors paused invol- 
untarily, to take a farewell gaze at their beloved city, which a few 
steps more would shut from their sight for ever. Never had it 
appeared so lovely in their eyes. The sunshine, so bright in that 
transparent climate, lit up each tower and minaret, and rested 
gloriously upon the crowning battlements of the Alhambra ; while 
the vega spread its enamelled bosom of verdure below, glistening 
with the silver windings of the Xenel. The Moorish cavaliers 
gazed with a silent agony of tenderness and grief upon that de- 
licious abode, the scene of their loves and pleasures. While they 
yet looked, a light cloud of smoke burst forth from the citadel, 
and presently a peal of artillery, faintly heard, told that the city 
was taken possession of, and the throne of the Moslem kings was 
lost for ever. The heart of Boabdil, softened by misfortunes and 
overcharged with grief, could no longer contain itself : " Allah 
Achbar ! God is great !" said he ; but the words of resignation 
died upon his lips, and he burst into tears. 

His mother, the intrepid Ayxa, was indignant at his weak- 

* Zurita, Analcs de Aragon, lib. 20, cap. 92. 



526 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



ness : " You do well," said she, " to weep like a woman, for what 
you failed to defend like a man !" 

The vizier Aben Comixa endeavored to console his royal mas- 
ter. " Consider, Senor," said he, " that the most signal misfortunes 
often render men as renowned as the most prosperous achieve- 
ments, provided they sustain them with magnanimity." 

The unhappy monarch, however, was not to be consoled ; his 
tears continued to flow. " Allah Achbar !" exclaimed he ; u when 
did misfortunes ever equal mine ?" 

From this circumstance, the hill, which is not far from Padul, 
took the name of Feg Allah Achbar : but the point of view com- 
manding the last prospect of Granada, is known among Spaniards 
by the name of El ultimo suspiro del Moro ; or, " The last 
sigh of the Moor." 



THE ENNRY INTO GRANADA. 527 



CHAPTER C. 

How the Castilian sovereigns took possession of Granada. 

Queen Isabella having joined the king, the royal pair, followed 
by a triumphant host, passed up the road by the Hill of Martyrs, 
and thence to the main entrance of the Alhambra. The grand 
cardinal awaited them under the lofty arch of the great gate of 
justice, accompanied by Don Gutierrez de Cardenas and Aben 
Comixa. Here king Ferdinand gave the keys which had been 
delivered up to him into the hands of the queen ; they were 
passed successively into the hands of the prince Juan, the grand 
cardinal, and finally into those of the count de Tendilla, in whose 
custody they remained, that brave cavalier having been named 
alcayde of the Alhambra, and captain-general of Granada. 

The sovereigns did not remain long in the Alhambra on this 
first visit, but leaving a strong garrison there under the count de 
Tendilla, to maintain tranquillity in the palace and the subjacent 
city, returned to the camp at Santa Fe. 

We must not omit to mention a circumstance attending the 
surrender of the city, which spoke eloquently to the hearts of the 
victors. As the royal army had advanced in all the pomp of 
courtly and chivalrous array, a procession of a different kind came 
forth to meet it. This was composed of more than five hundred 
Christian captives, many of whom had languished for years in 
Moorish dungeons. Pale and emaciated, they came clanking 



528 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



their chains in triumph, and shedding tears of joy. They were 
received with tenderness by the sovereigns. The king hailed 
them as good Spaniards, as men loyal and brave, as martyrs to 
the holy cause ; the queen distributed liberal relief among them 
with her own hands, and they passed on before the squadrons of 
the army, singing hymns of jubilee.* 

The sovereigns forbore to enter the city until it should be 
fully occupied by their troops, and public tranquillity insured. 
All this was done under the vigilant superintendence of the count 
de Tendilla, assisted by the marques of Villena ; and the glisten- 
ing of Christian helms and lances along the walls and bulwarks, 
and the standards of the faith and of the realm flaunting from the 
towers, told that the subjugation of the city was complete. The 
proselyte prince, Cid Hiaya, now known by the Christian appel- 
lation of Don Pedro de Granada Venegas,f was appointed chief 
alguazil of the city, and had charge of the Moorish inhabitants ; 
and his son, lately the prince Alnayer, now Alonzo de Granada 
Vanegas, was appointed admiral of the fleets. 

It was on the sixth of January, the day of kings and festival 
of the Epiphany, that the sovereigns made their triumphal entry 
with grand military parade. First advanced, we are told, a splen- 
did escort of cavaliers in burnished armor, and superbly mounted. 
Then followed the prince Juan, glittering with jewels and dia- 
monds ; on each side of him, mounted on mules, rode the grand 
cardinal, clothed in purple, Fray Hernando de Talavero, bishop 
of Airla, and the archbishop elect of Granada. To these succeeded 

* Abarca, lib. sup. Zurita, &c. 

t Cid Hiaya was made cavalier of the order of Santiago. He and his 
son intermarried with the Spanish nobility, and the marqueses of Compo- 
tejar are among their descendants. Their portraits, and the portraits of 
their grandsons, are to be seen in one of the rooms of the Generalife at 
Granada. 



THE ROYAL PROCESSION. 529 



the queen and her ladies, and the king, managing in galliard style, 
say the Spanish chroniclers, a proud and mettlesome steed (un 
caballo arrogante). Then followed the army in shining columns, 
with flaunting banners and the inspiring clamor of military mu- 
sic. The king and queen (says the worthy Fray Antonio Aga- 
pida) looked, on this occasion, as more than mortal : the venera- 
ble ecclesiastics, to whose advice and zeal this glorious conquest 
ought in a great measure to be attributed, moved along with 
hearts swelling with holy exultation, but with chastened and 
downcast looks of edifying humility ; while the hardy warriors, in 
tossing plumes and shining steel, seemed elevated with a stern 
joy, at finding themselves in possession of this object of so many 
toils and perils. As the streets resounded with the tramp of 
steeds and swelling peals of music, the Moors buried themselves 
in the deepest recesses of their dwellings. There they bewailed 
in secret the fallen glory of their race, but suppressed their 
groans, lest they should be heard by their enemies and increase 
their triumph. 

The royal procession advanced to the principal mosque, which 
had been consecrated as a cathedral. Here the sovereigns offered 
up prayers and thanksgivings, and the choir of the royal chapel 
chanted a triumphant anthem, in which they were joined by all 
the courtiers and cavaliers. Nothing (says Fray Antonio Aga- 
pida) could exceed the thankfulness to God of the pious king 
Ferdinand, for having enabled him to eradicate from Spain the 
empire and name of that accursed heathen race, and for the ele- 
vation of the cross in that city wherein the impious doctrines of 
Mahomet had so long been cherished. In the fervor of his spirit, 
he supplicated from Heaven a continuance of its grace, and that 
this glorious triumph might be perpetuated.* The prayer of 

* The words of Fray Antonio Agapida are little more than an echo of 
those of the worthy Jesuit father Mariana. (L. 25, c. 18.) 
23 



530 CONQUEST OF GRANADA. 



the pious monarch was responded by the people, and even his 
enemies were for once convinced of his sincerity. 

When the religious ceremonies were concluded, the court 
ascended to the stately palace of the Alhambra, and entered by 
the great gate of justice. The halls lately occupied by tur- 
baned infidels now rustled with stately dames and Christian 
courtiers, who wandered with eager curiosity over this far-famed 
palace, admiring its verdant courts and gushing fountains, its 
halls decorated with elegant arabesques, and storied with inscrip- 
tions, and the splendor of its gilded and brilliantly painted ceilings. 

It had been a last request of the unfortunate Boabdil, and one 
which showed how deeply he felt the transition of his fate, that 
no person might be permitted to enter or depart by the gate of 
the Alhambra, through which he had sallied forth to surrender 
his capital. His request was granted ; the portal was closed up, 
and remains so to the present day — a mute memorial of that 
event.* 

* Garibay, Compend. Hist. lib. 40, c. 42. The existence of this gate- 
way, and the story connected with it, are perhaps known to few ; but were 
identified, in the researches made to verify this history. The gateway is at 
the bottom of a tower, at some distance from the main body of the Alhambra. 
The tower has been rent and ruined by gunpowder, at the time when the 
fortress was evacuated by the French. Great masses lie around half cov- 
ered by vines and fig-trees. A poor man, by the name of Matteo Ximenes, 
who lives in one of the halls among the ruins of the Alhambra, where his 
family has resided for many generations, pointed out to the author the 
gateway, still closed up with stones. He remembered to have heard his 
father and grandfather say, that it had always been stopped up, and that 
out of it king Boabdil had gone when he surrendered Granada. The route 
of the unfortunate king may be traced thence across the garden of the con- 
vent of Los Martyros, and down a ravine beyond, through a street of Gipsy 
caves and hovels, by the gate of Los Molinos, and so on to the Hermitage 
of St. Sebastian. None but an antiquarian, however, will be able to trace 
it, unless aided by the humble historian of the place, Matteo Ximenes. 



THE SOVEREIGNS IN THE ALHAMBRA. 531 



The Spanish sovereigns fixed their throne in the presence- 
chamber of the palace, so long the seat of Moorish royalty. Hi- 
ther the principal inhabitants of Granada repaired, to pay them 
homage and kiss their hands in token of vassalage ; and their 
example was followed by deputies from all the towns and for- 
tresses of the Alpuxarras, which had not hitherto submitted. 

Thus terminated the war of Granada, after ten years of in- 
cessant fighting ; equalling (says Fray Antonio Agapida) the far- 
famed siege of Troy in duration, and ending, like that, in the 
capture of the city. Thus ended also the dominion of the Moors 
in Spain, having endured seven hundred and seventy-eight years, 
from the memorable defeat of Roderick, the last of the Goths, on 
the banks of the Guadalete. The authentic Agapida is uncom- 
monly particular in fixing the epoch of this event. This great 
triumph of our holy Catholic faith, according to his computation, 
took place in the beginning of January, in the year of our Lord 
1 492, being 3655 years from the population of Spain by the pa- 
triarch Tubal; 3797 from the general deluge; 5453 from the 
creation of the world, according to Hebrew calculation ; and in 
the month Rabic, in the eight hundred and ninety-seventh year 
of the Hegira, or flight of Mahomet ; whom may God confound ! 
saith the pious Agapida! 



APPENDIX. 



The Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada is finished, but the reader 
may be desirous of knowing the subsequent fortunes of some of the 
principal personages. 

The unfortunate Boabdil retired with his mother, his wife, his son, 
his sister, his vizier, and bosom counsellor Aben Comixa, and many 
other relatives and friends to the valley of Purchena, where a small, but 
fertile territory, had been allotted him, comprising several towns of the 
Alpuxarras, with all their rights and revenues. Here, surrounded by 
obedient vassals, devoted friends, aud a loving family, and possessed of 
wealth sufficient to enable him to indulge in his habitual luxury and 
magnificence, he for a time led a tranquil life, and may have looked back 
upon his regal career as a troubled dream, from which he had happily 
awaked. Still he appears to have pleased himself with a shadow of 
royalty, making occasionally, progresses about his little domains, visiting 
the different towns, receiving the homage of the inhabitants, and bestow- 
ing largesses with a princely hand. His great delight, however, was in 
sylvan sports and exercises, with horses, hawks, and hounds, being pas- 
sionately fond of hunting and falconry, so as to pass weeks together in 
sporting campaigns among the mountains. The jealous suspicions of 
Ferdinand, followed him into his retreat. No exertions were spared by 
the politically pious monarch, to induce him to embrace the Christian 
religion, as a means of severing him in feelings and sympathies from his 
late subjects ; but he remained true to the faith of his fathers ; and it 
must have added not a little to his humiliation to live a vassal under 
Christian sovereigns. 

His obstinacy, in this respect, aggravated the distrust of Ferdinand, 
who, looking back upon the past inconstancy of the Moors, could not 
feel perfectly secure in his newly conquered territories, while there was 
one within their bounds who might revive pretensions to the throne, and 
rear the standard of an opposite faith in their behalf. He caused there- 



534 APPENDIX. 



fore a vigilant watch to be kept upon the dethroned monarch in his re- 
tirement, and beset him with spies, who were to report all his words and 
actions. The reader will probably be surprised to learn, that the fore- 
most of these spies was Aben Comixa ! Ever since the capture and re- 
lease of the niece of the vizier by the count de Tendilla, Aben Comixa 
had kept up a friendly correspondence with that nobleman, and through 
this channel had gradually been brought over to the views of Ferdi- 
nand. Documents which have gradually come to light, leave little 
doubt that the vizier had been corrupted by the bribes and promises of 
the Spanish king, and had greatly promoted his views in the capitulation 
of Granada. It is certain that he subsequently received great estates 
from the Christian sovereigns. While residing in confidential friendship 
with Boabdil in his retirement, Aben Comixa communicated secretly 
with Hernando de Zafra, the secretary of Ferdinand, who resided at Gra- 
nada, giving him information of all Boabdil's movements ; which the 
secretary reported by letter to the king. Some of the letters of the secre- 
tary still exist in the archives of Samancas, and have been recently pub- 
lished in the collection of unedited documents.* 

The jealous doubts of Ferdinand were quickened by the letters of his 
spies. He saw in the hunting campaigns and royal progresses of the ex- 
king a mode of keeping up a military spirit, and a concerted intelligence 
among the Moors of the Alpuxarras, that might prepare them for future 
rebellion. By degrees, the very residence of Boabdil within the kingdom 
became incompatible with Ferdinand's ideas of security. He gave his 
agents, therefore, secret instructions to work upon the mind of the de- 
posed monarch, and induce him, like El Zagal, to relinquish his Spanish 
estates for valuable considerations, and retire to Africa. Boabdil, how- 
ever, was not to be persuaded ; to the urgent suggestions of these perfidi- 
ous counsellors, he replied, that he had given up a kingdom to live in 
peace ; and had no idea of going to a foreign land to encounter new 
troubles, and to be under the control of alarabes.f 

Ferdinand persisted in his endeavors, and found means more effec- 
tual of operating on the mind of Boabdil and gradually disposing him 
to enter into negotiations. It would appear that Aben Comixa was 
secretly active in this matter, in the interests of the Spanish monarch, 
and was with him at Barcelona, as the vizier and agent of Boabdil. The 

* El rey Muley Babdali (Boabdil) y sus criados andan continuamente a caza con glagos y 
azores, y alia esta agora en al campo de Dalias y en Verja, aunque su casa tiene en Andarax ; 
y dican que estara alia por todo este mes. — Carta Secreta de Hernando de Zafra. De- 
cembre, 1492. 

t Letter of Hernando de Zafra to the sovereigns, Dec. 9, 1493. 



APPENDIX. 535 



latter, however, finding that his residence in the Alpuxarras was a cause 
of suspicion and uneasiness to Ferdinand, determined to go himself to 
Barcelona, have a conference with the sovereigns, and conduct all his 
negotiations with them in person. Zafra, the secretary of Ferdinand, 
who was ever on the alert, wrote a letter from Granada, apprising the 
king of Boabdil's intention, and that he was making preparations for 
the journey. He received a letter in reply, charging him by subtle man- 
agement to prevent, or at least delay, the coming of Boabdil to court* 
The crafty monarch trusted to effect through Aben Comixa as vizier 
and agent of Boabdil, an arrangement which he might be impossible to 
obtain from Boabdil himself. The politic plan was carried into effect. 
Boabdil was detained at Andarax by the management of Zafra. In the 
mean time, a scandalous bargain was made on the 17th March, 1493, be- 
tween Ferdinand and Aben Comixa, in which the latter, as vizier and 
agent of Boabdil, though without any license or authority from him, 
made a sale of his territory, and the patrimonial property of the princesses, 
for eighty thousand ducats of gold, and engaged that he should depart 
for Africa, taking care, at the same time, to make conditions highly ad- 
vantageous for himself.f 

This bargain being hastily concluded, Yusef Aben Comixa loaded 
the treasure upon mules, and departed for the Alpuxarras. Here, spread- 
ing the money before Boabdil : " Senior," said he, " I have observed 
that as long as you live here, you are exposed to constant peril. The 
Moors are rash and irritable ; they may make some sudden insurrection, 
elevate your standard as a pretext, and thus overwhelm you and your 
friends with utter ruin. I have observed also that you pine away with 
grief, being continually reminded in this country that you were once its 
sovereign, but never more must hope to reign. I have put an end to 
these evils. Your territory is sold — behold the price of it. With this 
gold you may buy far greater possessions in Africa, where you may live 
in honor and security." 

When Boabdil heard these words, he burst into a sudden transport 
of rage, and drawing his scimetar, would have sacrificed the officious 
Yusef on the spot, had not the attendants interfered, and hurried the 
vizier from his presence.^ 

The rage of Boabdil gradually subsided ; he saw that he had been 
duped and betrayed ; but he knew the spirit of Ferdinand too well to 

• Letter of the sovereigns to Hernando de Zafra, from Barcelona. Feb. 1493. 
I" Alcantara, Hist. Granad. iv. c. 18. 
X Marmol. Rebel. 1. 1, c. 22. 



536 



APPENDIX. 



hope that he would retract the bargain, however illegitimately effected. 
He contented himself, therefore, with obtaining certain advantageous 
modifications, and then prepared to bid a final adieu to his late king- 
dom and his native land. 

It took some months to make the necessary arrangements ; or rather 
his departure was delayed by a severe domestic affliction. Morayma, 
his gentle and affectionate wife, worn out by agitations and alarms, was 
gradually sinking into the grave, a prey to devouring melancholy. Her 
death took place toward the end of August. Hernando de Zafra ap- 
prised king Ferdinand of the event as one propitious to his purposes; 
removing an obstacle to the embarkation, which was now fixed for the 
month of September. Zafra was instructed to accompany the exiles 
until he saw them landed on the African coast. 

The embarkation, however, did not take place until some time in the 
month of October. A caracca had been prepared at the port of Adra 
for Boabdil and Ms immediate family and friends. Another caracca and 
two galliots received a number of faithful adherents, amounting, it is 
said to 1130, who followed their prince into exile. 

A crowd of his former subjects witnessed his embarkation. As the 
sails were unfurled and swelled to the breeze, and the vessel bearing 
Boabdil parted from the land, the spectators would fain have have given 
him a farewell cheering ; but the humbled state of their once proud sove- 
reign forced itself upon their minds, and the ominous surname of his 
youth rose involuntarily to their tongues : " Farewell, Boabdil ! Allah 
preserve thee, El Zogoybi /" burst spontaneously from their lips. The 
unlucky appellation sank into the heart of the expatriated monarch, and 
tears dimmed his eyes as the snowy summits of the mountains of Gra- 
nada gradually faded from his view. 

He was received with welcome at the court of his relative Muley 
Ahmed, caliph of Fez, the same who had treated El Zagal with such 
cruelty in his exile. For thirty-four years he resided in this court, treat- 
ed with great consideration, and built a palace or alcazar, at Fez, in 
which, it is said, he endeavored to emulate the beauties and delights of 
the Alhambra. 

The last we find recorded of him is in the year 1536, when he fol- 
lowed the caliph to the field to repel the invasion of two brothers of 
the famous line of the Xerifes, who at the head of Berber troops had 
taken the city of Morocco and threatened Fez. The armies came in 
sight of each other on the banks of the Gaudal Hawit or river of slaves, 
at the ford of Balcuba. The river was deep, the banks were high and 
broken ; and the ford could only be passed in single file ; for three days 



APPENDIX. 537 



the armies remained firing at each other across the stream, neither ven- 
turing to attempt the dangerous ford. At length the caliph divided his 
army into three battalions, the command of the first he gave to his 
brother-in-law, and to Aliatar, son of the old alcayde of Loxa ; another 
division he commanded himself, and the third, composed of his best 
marksmen, he put under the command of his son the prince of Fez, and 
Boabdil, now a gray-haired veteran. The last mentioned column took 
the lead, dashed boldly across the ford, scrambled np the opposite bank, 
and attempted to keep the enemy employed until the other battalions 
should have time to cross. The rebel army, however, attacked them 
with such fury, that the son of the king of Fez and several of the 
bravest alcaydes were slain upon the spot ; multitudes were driven back 
into the river, which was already crowded with passing troops. A 
dreadful confusion took place ; the horse trampled upon the foot ; the 
enemy pressed on them with fearful slaughter ; those who escaped the 
sword perished by the stream ; the river was choked by the dead bodies 
of men and horses, and by the scattered baggage of the army. In this 
scene of horrible carnage fell Boabdil, truly called El Zogoybi, or the 
unlucky ; — an instance, says the ancient chronicler, of the scornful ca- 
price of fortune, dying in defence of the kingdom of another, after 
wanting spirit to die in defence of his own.* 

The aspersion of the chronicler is more caustic than correct. Boab- 
dil never showed a want of courage in the defence of Granada ; but he 
wanted firmness and decision ; he was beset from the first by perplexi- 
ties, and ultimately, by the artifices of Ferdinand and the treachery of 
those in whom he most confided.f 

ZORAYA, THE STAR OF THE MORNING. 

Notwithstanding the deadly rivalship of this youthful sultana, with 
Ayxa la Horra, the virtuous mother of Boabdil, and the disasters to 
which her ambitious intrigues gave rise, the placable spirit of Boabdil 
bore her no lasting enmity. After the death of his father, he treated 
her with respect and kindness, and evinced a brotherly feeling towards 
her sons Cad and Nazar. In the capitulations for the surrender of Gra- 
nada he took care of her interests, and the possessions which he obtain- 
ed for her were in his neighborhood, in the valleys of the Alpuxarras. 
Zoraya, however, under the influence of queen Isabella, returned to the 

* Marmol. Descrip. de Africa, p. 1, 1. 2, c. 40. Idem, Hist. Reb. de los Moros, lib 1, c. 21. 

t In revising this account of the ultimate fortunes of Boabdil, the author has availed him- 
self of facts recently brought out in Alcantara's history of Granada ; which throw strong 
lights on certain parts of the subject hitherto covered with obscurity, 
23* 



538 APPENDIX. 



Christian faith, the religion of her infancy, and resumed her Spanish 
name of Isabella. Her two sons Cad and Nazar were baptized under 
the names of Don Fernando and Don Juan de Granada, and were per- 
mitted to take the titles of Infantas or princes. They intermarried with 
noble Spanish families, and the dukes of Granada, resident in Vallado- 
lid, are descendants of Don Juan (once Nazar), and preserve to the pres- 
ent day the blazon of their royal ancestor Muley Abul Hassan, and his 
motto, Le Galib ile Ala, God alone is conqueror 

FATE OF ABEN COMIXA. 

An ancient chronicle which has long remained in manuscript, but Vvm 
been published of late years in the collection of Spanish historical doc- 
uments,* informs us of the subsequent fortunes of the perfidious Aben 
Comixa. Discarded and despised by Boabdil for his treachery, he re- 
paired to the Spanish court, and obtained favor in the eyes of the devout 
queen Isabella by embracing the Christian religion, being baptized under 
her auspices, with the name of Don Juan de Granada. He even carried 
his zeal for his newly adopted creed so far as to become a Franciscan 
friar. By degrees his affected piety grew cool, and the friar's garb be- 
came irksome. Taking occasion of the sailing of some Venetian gal- 
leys from Almeria, he threw off his religious habit, embarked on board 
of one of them and crossed to Africa, where he landed in the dress of a 
Spanish cavalier. 

In a private interview with Abderraman, the Moorish king of Bujia, 
he related his whole history, and declared that he had always been and 
still was at heart a true Mahometan. Such skill had he in inspiring 
confidence that the Moorish king took him into favor and appointed him 
governor of Algiers. While enjoying his new dignity, a Spanish squad- 
ron of four galleys under the celebrated count Pedro de Navarro, an- 
chored in the harbor, in 1509. Aben Comixa paid the squadron a visit 
of ceremony in his capacity of governor ; gave the count repeated fetes, 
and in secret conversations with him laid open all the affairs of the king 
of Bujia, and offered if the count should return with sufficient force, to 
deliver the city into his hands and aid him in conquering the whole ter- 
ritory. The count hastened back to Spain and made known the pro- 
posed treachery to the Cardinal Xemenes, then prime minister of Spain. 
In the following month of January he was sent with thirty vessels, and 
four thousand soldiers to achieve the enterprise. The expedition of 
Navarro was successful. He made himself master of Bujia, and seized 

* Padilla, Cronica de Felipe el Hermosa, cap. 18, y. 19, as cited by Alcantara. 



APPENDIX. 539 



in triumph on the royal palace, but he found there the base Aben Co- 
mixa weltering in his blood and expiring under numerous wounds. His 
treachery had been discovered, and the vengeance of the king of Bujia 
had closed his perfidious career. 

DEATH OF THE MARQUES OF CADIZ. 

The renowned Roderigo Ponce de Leon, Marques, Duke of Cadiz, was 
unquestionably the most distinguished among the cavaliers of Spain, for 
his zeal, enterprise, and heroism, in the great crusade of Granada. He 
began the war by the capture of Alhama ; he was engaged in almost 
every inroad and siege of importance, during its continuance ; and was 
present at the surrender of the capital, the closing scene of the conquest. 
The renown thus acquired was sealed by his death, which happened in 
the forty-eighth year of his age, almost immediately at the close of his 
triumphs, and before a leaf of his laurels had time to wither. He died 
at his palace in the city of Seville, on the 27th day of August, 1492, but 
a few months after the surrender of Granada, and of an illness caused 
by exposures and fatigues undergone in this memorable war. That 
honest chronicler, Andres Bernaldes, the curate of los Palacios, who was 
a contemporary of the marques, draws his portrait from actual knowledge 
and observation. He was universally cited (says he) as the most per- 
fect model of chivalrous virtue of the age. He was temperate, chaste, 
and rigidly devout ; a benignant commander, a valiant defender of his 
vassals, a great lover of justice, and an enemy to all flatterers, liars, rob- 
bers, traitors, and poltroons. 

His ambition was of a lofty kind — he sought to distinguish himself 
and his family, by heroic and resounding deeds ; and to increase the patri- 
mony of his ancestors, by the acquisition of castles, domains, vassals, 
and other princely possessions. His recreations were all of a warlike 
nature ; he delighted in geometry as applied to fortifications, and spent 
much time and treasure in erecting and repairing fortresses. He relished 
music, but of a military kind — the sound of clarions and sackbuts, of 
drums and trumpets. Like a true cavalier, he was a protector of the 
sex on all occasions, and an injured woman never applied to him in vain 
for redress. His prowess was so well known, and his courtesy to the 
fair, that the ladies of the court, when they accompanied the queen to 
the wars, rejoiced to find themselves under his protection ; for wherever 
his banner was displayed, the Moors dreaded to adventure. He was 
a faithful and devoted friend, but a formidable enemy ; for he was slow 
to forgive, and his vengeance was persevering and terrible. 



540 APPENDIX. 



The death of this good and well-beloved cavalier spread grief and 
lamentation throughout all ranks. His relations, dependents, and com- 
panions in arms, put on mourning for his loss ; and so numerous were 
they, that half of Seville was clad in black. None, however, deplored 
his death more deeply and sincerely than his friend and chosen compa- 
nion, Don Alonzo de Aguilar. 

The funeral ceremonies were of the most solemn and sumptuous 
kind. The body of the marques was arrayed in a costly shirt, a doublet 
of brocade, a sayo or long robe of black velvet, a marlota or Moorish 
tunic of brocade reaching to the feet, and scarlet stockings. His sword, 
superbly gilt, was girded to his side, as he used to wear it when in the 
field. Thus magnificently attired, the body was inclosed in a coffin, 
which was covered with black velvet, and decorated with a cross of white 
damask. It was then placed on a sumptuous bier, in the centre of the 
great hall of the palace. Here the duchess made great lamentation over 
the body of her lord, in which she was joined by her train of damsels 
and attendants, as well as by the pages and esquires, and innumerable 



In the close of the evening, just before the Ave Maria, the funeral 
train issued from the palace. Ten banners were borne around the bier, 
the particular trophies of the marques, won from the Moors by Ms valor 
in individual enterprises, before king Ferdinand had commenced the war 
of Granada. The procession was swelled by an immense train of bish- 
ops, priests, and friars of different orders, together with the civil and 
military authorities, and all the chivalry of Seville, headed by the count 
of Cifuentes, at that time intendente or commander of the city. It 
moved slowly and solemnly through the streets, stopping occasionally, 
and chanting litanies and responses. Two hundred and forty waxen 
tapers shed a light like the day about the bier. The balconies and win- 
dows were crowded with ladies, who shed tears as the funeral train 
passed by ; while the women of the lower classes were loud in their 
lamentations, as if bewailing the loss of a father or a brother. On ap- 
proaching the convent of St. Augustine, the monks came forth with the 
cross and tapers, and eight censers, and conducted the body into the 
church, where it lay in state until all the vigils were performed, by the 
different orders ; after which it was deposited in the family tomb of the 
Ponces in the same church, and the ten banners were suspended over 
the sepulchre.* 

The tomb of the valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, with his banners 

* Cura de los Palacios, c. 104. 



APPENDIX. 541 



mouldering above it, remained for ages an object of veneration with all 
who had read or heard of his virtues and achievements. In the year 
1810, however, the chapel was sacked by the French, its altars were 
overturned, and the sepulchres of the family of the Ponces shattered to 
pieces. The present duchess of Benevente, the worthy descendant of 
this illustrious and heroic line, has since piously collected the ashes of 
her ancestors, restored the altar, and repaired the chapel. The sepul- 
chres, however, were utterly destroyed ; an inscription in gold letters, 
on the wall of the chapel, to the right of the altar, is all that denotes the 
place of sepulture of the brave Ponce de Leon. 

THE LEGEND OF THE DEATH OF DON ALONZO DE AGUILAR. 

To such as feel an interest in the fortune of the valiant Don Alonzo 
de Aguilar, the chosen friend and companion in arms of Ponce de Leon, 
marques of Cadiz, and one of the most distinguished heroes of the war 
of Granada, a few particulars of his remarkable fate will not be unac- 
ceptable. 

For several years after the conquest of Granada, the country re- 
mained feverish and unquiet. The zealous efforts of the Catholic clergy 
to effect the conversion of the infidels, and the coercion used for that 
purpose by government, exasperated the stubborn Moors of the moun- 
tains. Several missionaries were maltreated ; and in the town of Day- 
rin, two of them were seized, and exhorted, with many menaces, to em- 
brace the Moslem faith ; on their resolutely refusing, they were killed 
with staves and stones, by the Moorish women and children, and their 
bodies burnt to ashes.* 

Upon this event a body of Christian cavaliers assembled in Anda- 
lusia to the number of eight hundred, and, without waiting for orders 
from the king, revenged the death of these martyrs, by plundering and 
laying waste the Moorish towns and villages. The Moors fled to the 
mountains, and their cause was espoused by many of their nation, who 
inhabited those rugged regions. The storm of rebellion began to 
gather, and mutter its thunders in the Alpuxarras. They were echoed 
from the Serrania of Ronda, ever ready for rebellion ; but the strongest 
hold of the insurgents was in the Sierra Vermeja, or chain of Red 
Mountains, which lie near the sea, the savage rocks and precipices of 
which may be seen from Gibraltar. 

When king Ferdinand heard of these tumults, he issued a proclama- 
tion ordering all the Moors of the insurgent regions to leave them with- 

" Cura de los Palacios, c. 166. 



542 APPENDIX. 



in ten days, and repair to Castile ; giving secret instructions, however, 
that those who should voluntarily embrace the Christian faith might be 
permitted to remain. As the same time, he ordered Don Alonzo de 
Aguilar, and the counts of Urena and Cifuentes, to march against the 
rebels. 

Don Alonzo de Aguilar was at Cordova, when he received the com- 
mands of the king. " What force is allotted us for this expedition T 
said he. On being told, he perceived that the number of troops was far 
from adequate. " When a man is dead," said he, " we send four men 
into his house to bring forth the body. We are now sent to chastise 
these Moors, who are alive, vigorous, in open rebellion, and ensconced 
in their castles ; yet they do not give us man to man. These words of 
the brave Alonzo de Aguilar were afterwards frequently repeated; 
but though he saw the desperate nature of the enterprise, he did not 
hesitate to undertake it. 

Don Alonzo was at that time in the fifty-first year of his age : a 
warrior, in whom the fire of youth was yet unqUenched, though tem- 
pered by experience. The greater part of his life had been passed in 
camp and field, until danger was as his habitual element. His muscular 
frame had acquired the firmness of iron, without the rigidity of age. 
His armor and weapons seemed to have become a part of his nature, 
and he sat like a man of steel on his powerful war-horse. 

He took with him, on this expedition, his son Don Pedro de Cor- 
dova, a youth of bold and generous spirit, in the freshness of his days, 
and armed and arrayed with the bravery of a young Spanish cavalier. 
When the populace of Cordova beheld the veteran father, the warrior 
of a thousand battles, leading forth his son to the field, they bethought 
themselves of the family appellation : " Behold," cried they, " the eagle 
teaching his young to fly ! Long live the valiant line of Aguilar !"* 

The prowess of Don Alonzo, and of his companions in arms, was 
renowned throughout the Moorish towns. At their approach, therefore, 
numbers of the Moors submitted, and hastened to Ronda to embrace 
Christianity. Among the mountaineers, however, were many of the 
Gandules, a tribe from Africa, too proud of spirit to bend their necks to 
the yoke. At their head was a Moor named El Feri of Ben Estepar, 
renowned for strength and courage. At his instigation, his followers 
gathered together their families and most precious effects, placed them 
on mules, and, driving before them their flocks and herds, abandoned 
their valleys, and retired up the craggy passes of the Sierra Vermeja. 

* Aguilar— the Spanish for Eagle. 



APPENDIX. 543 



On the summit was a fertile plain, surrounded by rocks and precipices, 
which formed a natural fortress. Here El Feri placed all the women 
and children, and all the property. By his orders, his followers piled 
great stones on the rocks and cliffs which commanded the defiles and 
the steep sides of the mountain, and prepared to defend every pass that 
led to his place of refuge. 

The Christian commanders arrived, and pitched their camp before 
the town of Monarda, a strong place, curiously fortified, and situated 
at the foot of the highest part of the Sierra Vermeja. Here they 
remained for several days, unable to compel a surrender. They were se- 
parated from the skirt of the mountain by a deep barranca or ravine, at 
the bottom of which flowed a small stream. The Moors, commanded 
by El Feri, drew down from their mountain height, and remained on the 
opposite side of the brook, to defend a pass which led up to their strong- 
hold. 

One afternoon, a number of Christian soldiers, in mere bravado, 
seized a banner, crossed the brook, and, scrambling up the opposite 
bank, attacked tjie Moors. They were followed by numbers of their 
companions, some in aid, some in emulation, but most in hope of booty. 
A sharp action ensued on the mountain side. The Moors were greatly 
superior in number, and had the vantage-ground. When the counts of 
Urena and Cifuentes beheld this skirmish, they asked Don Alonzo de 
Aguilar his opinion : " My opinion," said he, " was given at Cordova, 
and remains the same : this is a desperate enterprise : however, the 
Moors are at hand, and if they suspect weakness in us, it will increase 
their courage and our peril. Forward then to the attack, and I trust in 
God we shall gain a victory." So saying, he led his troops into the 
battle.* 

On the skirts of the mountain were several level places, like terraces ; 
here the Christians pressed valiantly upon the Moors, and had the ad- 
vantage; but the latter retreated to the steep and craggy heights, 
whence they hurled darts and rocks upon their assailants. They de- 
fended their passes and defiles with valor, but wore driven from height 
to height, until they reached the plain on the summit of the mountain, 
where their wives and children were sheltered. Here they would have 
made a stand; but Alonzo de Aguilar, with his son Don Pedro, charged 
upon them at the head of three hundred men, and put them to flight 
with great carnage. While they were pursuing the flying enemy* the 
rest of the army, thinking the victory achieved, dispersed themselves 

• Blodii, I,. 6, c 9& 



544 APPENDIX, 



over the little plain in search of plunder. They pursued the shrieking 
females, tearing off their necklaces, bracelets, and anklets of gold ; and 
they found so much treasure of various kinds collected in this spot, that 
they threw by their armor and weapons, to load themselves with booty. 

Evening was closing. The Christians, intent upon spoil, had ceased 
to pursue the Moors, and the latter were arrested in their flight by the 
cries of their wives and children. Their leader, El Feri, threw himself 
before them : " Friends, soldiers," cried he, " whither do you fly ? Whi- 
ther can you seek refuge, where the enemy cannot follow you ? Your 
wives, your children, are behind you — turn and defend them ; you have 
no chance for safety, but from the weapons in your hands." 

The Moors turned at his words. They beheld the Christians scat- 
tered about the plain, many of them without armor, and all encumbered 
with spoil. " Now is the time !" shouted El Feri ; " charge upon them 
while laden with your plunder. I will open a path for you !" He 
rushed to the attack, followed by his Moors, with shouts and cries that 
echoed through the mountains. The scattered Christians were seized 
with panic, and throwing down their booty, began to fly in all directions. 
Don Alonzo de Aguilar advanced his banner, and endeavored to rally 
them. Finding his horse of no avail in these rocky heights, he dis- 
mounted, and caused his men to do the same ; he had a small band of 
tried followers, with which he opposed a bold front to the Moors, call- 
ing on the scattered troops to rally in the rear. 

Night had completely closed. It prevented the Moors from seeing 
the smallness of the force with which they were contending ; and Don 
Alonzo and his cavaliers dealt their blows so vigorously, that, aided by 
the darkness, they seemed multiplied to ten times then* number. Un- 
fortunately, a small cask of gunpowder blew up, near to the scene of 
action. It shed a momentary but brilliant light over all the plain, and 
on every rock and cliff. The Moors beheld, with surprise, that they 
were opposed by a mere handful of men, and that the greater part of the 
Christians were flying from the field. They put up loud shouts of tri- 
umph. While some continued the conflict with redoubled ardor, others 
pursued the fugitives, hurling after them stones and darts, and discharg- 
ing showers of arrows. Many of the Christians, in their terror and 
their ignorance of the mountains, rushed headlong from the brinks of 
precipices, and were dashed in pieces. 

Don Alonzo still maintained his ground ; but, while some of the 
Moors assailed him in front, others galled him with all kinds of missiles 
from the impending cliffs. Some of the cavaliers, seeing the hopeless 
nature of the conflict, proposed to abandon the height and retreat down 



APPENDIX. 545 



the mountain : " No," said Don Alonzo, proudly, " never did the banner 
of the house of Aguilar retreat one foot in the field of battle." He had 
scarcely uttered these words, when his son Pedro was stretched at his 
feet. A stone hurled from a cliff had struck out two of his teeth, and a 
lance passed quivering through his thigh. The youth attempted to rise, 
and, with one knee on the ground, to fight by the side of his father. Don 
Alonzo, finding him wounded, urged him to quit the field. " Fly, my 
son !" said he ; " let us not put every thing at venture upon one hazard. 
Conduct thyself as a good Christian, and live to comfort and honor thy 
mother." 

Don Pedro still refused to leave his side. Whereupon Don Alonzo 
ordered several of his followers to bear him off by force. His friend 
Don Francisco Alvarez of Cordova, taking him in his arms, conveyed 
him to the quarters of the count of Urena, who had halted on the height, 
at some distance from the scene of battle, for the purpose of rallying 
and succoring the fugitives. Almost at the same moment, the count 
beheld his own son, Don Pedro Giron, brought in grievously wounded. 

In the mean time, Don Alonzo, with two hundred cavaliers, main- 
tained the unequal contest. Surrounded by foes, they fell, one after 
another, like so many stags encircled by the hunters. Don Alonzo was 
the last survivor, without horse, and almost without armor — his corselet 
unlaced, and his bosom gashed with wounds. Still he kept a brave 
front to the enemy, and, retiring between two rocks, defended himself 
with such valor, that the slain lay in a heap before him. 

He was assailed in this retreat, by a Moor of surpassing strength 
and fierceness. The contest was for some time doubtful ; but Don 
Alonzo received a wound in the head, and another in the breast, which 
made him stagger. Closing and grappling with his foe, they had a des- 
perate struggle, until the Christian cavalier, exhausted by his wounds, 
fell upon his back. He still retained his grasp upon his enemy : " Think 
not," cried he, " thou hast an easy prize ; know that I am Don Alonzo, 
he of Aguilar !" — " If thou art Don Alonzo," replied the Moor, " know 
that I am El Feri of Ben Estepar." They continued their deadly strug- 
gle, and both drew their daggers ; but Don Alonzo was exhausted by 
seven ghastly wounds : while he was yet struggling, his heroic soul 
departed from his body, and he expired in the grasp of the Moor. 

Thus fell Alonzo de Aguilar, the mirror of Andalusian chivalry — 
one of the most powerful grandees of Spain, for person, blood, estate, 
and office. For forty years he had made successful war upon the Moors 
— in childhood by his household and retainers, in manhood by the prow- 
ess of his arm, and in the wisdom and valor of his spirit. His pennon 



546 APPENDIX. 



had always been foremost in danger ; he had been general of armies, 
viceroy of Andalusia, and the author of glorious enterprises, in which 
kings were vanquished, and mighty alcaydes and warriors laid low. He 
had slain many Moslem chiefs with his own arm, and among others the 
renowned Ali Atar of Loxa, fighting foot to foot, on the banks of the 
Xenel. His judgment, discretion, magnanimity, and justice,, vied with 
his prowess. He was the fifth lord of his warlike house, that fell in 
battle with the Moors. 

" His soul," observes the worthy padre Abarca, " it is believed, as- 
cended to heaven, to receive the reward of so Christian a captain ; for 
that very day, he had armed himself with the sacraments of confession 
and communion."* 

The Moors, elated with their success, pursued the fugitive Christians 
down the defiles and sides of the mountains. It was with the utmost 
difficulty that the count de Urena could bring off a remnant of his forces 
from that disastrous height. Fortunately, on the lower slope of the 
mountain, they found the rear-guard of the army, led by the count de 
Cifuentes, who had crossed the brook and the ravine to come to their 
assistance. As the fugitives came flying in headlong terror down the 
mountain, it was with difficulty the count kept his own troops from 
giving way in panic, and retreating in confusion across the brook. He 
succeeded however in maintaining order, in rallying the fugitives, and 
checking the fury of the Moors : then, taking his station on a rocky 
eminence, he maintained his post until morning ; sometimes sustaining 
violent attacks, at other times rushing forth and making assaults upon 
the enemy. When morning dawned, the Moors ceased to combat, and 
drew up to the summit of the mountain. 

It was then that the Christians had time to breathe, and to ascertain 
the sad loss they had sustained. Among the many valiant cavaliers who 
had fallen, was Don Francisco Ramirez of Madrid, who had been cap- 
tain-general of artillery throughout the war of Granada, and contributed 
greatly by his valor and ingenuity to that renowned conquest. But all 
other griefs and cares were forgotten, in anxiety for the fate of Don 
Alonzo de Aguilar. His son, Don Pedro de Cordova, had been brought 
off with great difficulty from the battle, and afterwards lived to be 
marques of Priego ; but of Don Alonzo nothing was known, except 
that he was left with a handful of cavaliers, fighting valiantly against an 
overwhelming force. 

As the rising sun lighted up the red cliffs of the mountains, the sol- 
diers watched with anxious eyes, if perchance his pennon might be de- 

* Abarca, Anales de Aragon, Rey xxx. cap. ii. 



APPENDIX. 547 



scried, fluttering from any precipice or defile ; but nothing of the kind 
was to be seen. The trumpet-call was repeatedly sounded, but empty 
echoes alone replied. A silence reigned about the mountain summit, 
which showed that the deadly strife was over. Now and then a wound- 
ed warrior came dragging his feeble steps from among the clefts and 
rocks ; but, on being questioned, he shook his head mournfully, and 
could tell nothing of the fate of his commander. 

The tidings of this disastrous defeat, and of the perilous situation of 
the survivors, reached king Ferdinand at Granada; he immediately 
marched, at the head of all the chivalry of his court, to the mountains 
of Ronda. His presence, with a powerful force, soon put an end to the 
rebellion. A part of the Moors were suffered to ransom themselves, 
and embark for Africa ; others were made to embrace Christianity ; and 
those of the town where the Christian missionaries had been massacred, 
were sold as slaves. From the conquered Moors, the mournful but 
heroic end of Alonzo de Aguilar was ascertained. 

On the morning after the battle, when the Moors came to strip and 
bury the dead, the body of Don Alonzo was found, among those of 
more than two hundred of his followers, many of them alcaydes and cav- 
aliers of distinction. Though the person of Don Alonzo was well known 
to the Moors, being so distinguished among them both in peace and war, 
yet it was so covered and disfigured with wounds, that it could with dif- 
ficulty be recognized. They preserved it with great care, and, on 
making their submission, delivered it up to king Ferdinand. It was con- 
veyed with great state to Cordova, amidst the tears and lamentations of 
all Andalusia. When the funeral train entered Cordova, and the inhab- 
itants saw the coffin containing the remains of their favorite hero, and 
the war horse, led in mournful trappings, on which they had so lately 
seen him sally forth from their gates, there was a general burst of grief 
throughout the city. The body was interred, with great pomp and so- 
lemnity, in the church of St. Hypolito. 

Many years afterwards, his granddaughter, Dona Catalina of Aguilar 
and Cordova, marchioness of Priego, caused his tomb to be altered. On 
examining the body, the head of a lance was found among the bones, 
received without doubt among the wounds of his last mortal combat. 
The name of this accomplished and Christian cavalier has ever remained 
a popular theme of the chronicler and poet, and is endeared to the pub- 
lic memory by many of the historical ballads and songs of his country 
For a long time the people of Cordova were indignant at the brave count 
de Urena, who they thought had abandoned Don Alonzo in his extrem- 
ity; but the Castilian monarch acquitted him of all charge of the kind, 



548 APPENDIX. 



and continued him in honor and office. It was proved that neither he 
nor his people could succor Don Alonzo, or even know of his peril, 
from the darkness of the night. There is a mournful little Spanish 
ballad or romance, which breathes the public grief on this occasion ; and 
the populace, on the return of the count de Urena to Cordova, assailed 
him with one of its plaintive and reproachful verses :— 

Count Urena ! count Urena ! 
Tell us, where is Don Alonzo ! 

(Dezid Conde de Urena ! 
Don Alonzo, donde queda 1)* 

- Bleda, 1. 5, c. 26. 



THE END. 



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